Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – How to Unlock Photo Mode

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a built-in Camera ability that doubles as a Photo Mode.

You will need to complete a quest to be able to get this ability, though! This will also unlock the Hyrule Compendium feature, which you can fill out by taking pictures with the camera.

In this guide, we’ll tell you how to start and complete the “Camera Works in the Depths” quest so you can unlock the camera ability.

Unlocking Photo Mode in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

You will need to get the Camera ability to unlock Photo Mode. This is done by completing the “Camera Work in the Depths” main quest as mentioned in the introduction.

This quest can be started from Lookout Landing in Central Hyrule. It’s directly south of Hyrule Castle, so it should be easy to find.

Head to Lookout Landing and you should find Josha talking with a googly-eyed old man she affectionately calls “Goggles”. It’s Robbie, a returning character that appeared in the previous game!

Robbie will rush off to explore the Depths, expecting you to follow him and help him out. Josha will also give you some Brightbloom Seeds, which can be thrown to light up the dark Depths.

Follow the quest marker toward the Hyrule Field Chasm, which isdirectly south of Lookout Landing. You will find a man staring into the chasm there.

Speak with this guy and he will mention that Robbie already dived into the chasm ahead of you! You will have to brave the Depths if you wish to get the Camera and Photo Mode.

Looking for Robbie in the Depths

Jump into the chasm too and you will be inside the Depths, landing in a camp. Speak with the nearby man and he’ll tell you that Robbie ran off further into the Depths.

While you’re at the camp, look toward the south until you find a massive orange bulb. This is a Lightroot, you can activate it to brighten up the Depths a little bit.

Get under the Nisoij Lightroot and activate it to illuminate the surroundings. It also works as a fast travel point!

Now head directly west from this Lightroot and you should spot another Lightroot bulb in the distance. We recommend using your Scope to pin its location, as it will make it a lot easier to reach.

Nonetheless, you just need to head towards that Lightroot now. Make good use of the Brightbloom Seeds to light the path! Reach the Lightroot and activate it; this is the Iayusus Lightroot.

Look for a small campfire southwest of the Iayusus Lightroot and you will find our good old friend Robbie standing nearby.

Approach him and talk to him and he will finally reward you with the Camera ability! This is the game’s Photo Mode, but it’s also important for filling out the Hyrule Compendium.

How to Use the Camera Ability

You can use the Camera anytime by holding the L button and selecting it from the ability wheel. It’s the top right icon.

You can press X for Self-Portrait mode, which works very similarly to a Photo Mode. Press A to take a photo or B to cancel out. Use the up and down arrows on the Dpad to zoom in and out.

The album is accessed by pressing the Minus button, it will automatically save all pictures you take and let you protect your favorites from being deleted.

Finish the quest by following Robbie’s instructions and taking a picture of the nearby statue. You don’t need to move from where you are, just look around to spot the statue to the west of Robbie’s camp.

So there you have it! Everything there is to know about the game’s built-in Photo Mode Camera and how to use it.

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