Phasmophobia is everyone’s favorite ghost-hunting game. As any good investigator should do, you should document evidence throughout a contract by taking photos (apparently they never thought that videos would be a better form of evidence).
This guide walks you through everything you should know about taking photos in Phasmophobia. This includes what events and objects you can take pictures of to earn money and XP, the rewards for every type of photo, and how to take the correct photos to earn that prestigious perfect game.
What to Take Photos of in Phasmophobia
First up, let’s talk about everything that you can take a photo of during an investigation to earn XP and money.
Below is a list of subjects you can photograph during a contract, organized by the value per photo.
Ghost
3 Stars: $20
2 Stars: $10
1 Star: $5
The most valuable – and difficult to capture – picture is the Ghost Photo. You have to take this photo when the ghost is physically manifesting. This occurs either during a ghost event, ghost hunt, or when the ghost is visible through a D.O.T.S projector.
You can only earn rewards for one ghost photo per contract.
Bone
3 Stars: $10
2 Stars: $5
1 Star: $2
In every contract, a bone spawns randomly somewhere on the map. You can earn an easy $10 for taking a 3-star photo of the bone if you find it. Since you can also gain money for picking up the bone, the most optimal way to gain money is by taking a photo of the bone, and then picking it up.
Burned Crucifix
3 Stars: $10
2 Stars: $5
1 Star: $2
Taking a photo of the burnt crucifix is potentially one of the best ways to optimize your photo money. This is because you can take one photo for each stage of the crucifix burning (each crucifix has two uses). Since there are 2 crucifixes per contract maximum, this gives you a potential total of 4 burnt crucifix photos (netting you $40).
Just be careful of taking the photo whilst the crucifix is being burned, as this will count as an Interaction, which will only net you half of the money per photo.
Dirty Water
3 Stars: $10
2 Stars: $5
1 Star: $2
Ghosts sometimes interact with nearby sinks, causing them to fill with dirty water. You can take one photo of dirty water per sink.
Cursed Object
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
At normal difficulties (i.e. not custom or insanity difficulty), one cursed possession will spawn per map. You can take a photo of all the cursed objects, but there are a few things to keep an eye out for:
- You cannot take a picture of the Tarot Cards if all the cards have been drawn.
- Taking a picture of an Ouija Board as the ghost is responding will count as an Interaction photo instead (this will earn you the same money, however).
- You will not earn any rewards for taking a picture of a broken Ouija Board, but you will earn rewards for a photo of a broken Haunted Mirror.
Dead Players
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
In the unfortunate – but likely hilarious – event that one of your fellow players dies during a contract, you can make the worst of a bad situation by taking a photo of their dead body.
Disturbed Salt
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
You can photograph piles of salt after a ghost has stepped in it.
Fingerprints
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
You can photograph the fingerprints of ghosts that have ultraviolet evidence. Make sure to light up the print by charging it with the UV light first, and then quickly take a photo whilst it is visible. Alternatively in multiplayer, ask a friend to light up the fingerprints as you take a photo. You can take a valid fingerprint photograph for each new interaction that causes fingerprints to appear.
Footprints
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
Similarly to Fingerprints, ghosts with ultraviolet evidence will leave footprints after they step in salt. Just make sure the footprints are visible (lit up by the UV light) as you take the photo, otherwise it won’t count.
Ghost Writing
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
You can take photos of a ghostwriting book that has been written in. This only works if the ghost has ghostwriting as one of its evidences.
Ghost Interactions
3 Stars: $5
2 Stars: $2
1 Star: $1
There is a long list of ghost interactions, most of which can be photographed to make money. This includes but is not limited to:
- Crucifixes in the process of being burnt
- Ouija Board questions being answered
- Objects being thrown
- Doors being opened, closed, touched, or knocked
- Windows being touched
- Light switches being turned on or off
- Phones ringing
- Radios being turned on or off
- The fuse box being turned on or off (it does not count as a ghost interaction if the fuse box turns off because there are too many lights on in the location).
- Mannequins moving.
How to Earn the Maximum Photo Money per Contract
The most you can earn from photos is $110. You can achieve this by taking the following photos:
- Photo of the ghost
- Photo of the bone
- 4 photos of burned crucifixes
- 4 photos of dirty water
Unfortunately, the photo rewards that you earn are not multiplied by your difficulty multiplier (i.e. the maximum you can earn is always $110). If you complete a perfect investigation (discussed later) you also get a $50 bonus.
What Photos do not Earn you Rewards
There are a few things during a contract that you might think are photo-worthy but unfortunately will not count. This includes:
- Any readings on the EMF reader, including EMF-5.
- Any photos taken from the computer in the van.
- Any photos of event-specific objects (i.e. Christmas and Halloween event objects).
How Does the Photo Star System Work?
How many stars a photo earns depends on two primary factors: the object’s distance from the camera, as well as the object’s distance from the middle of the frame.
For example, if you take a picture of the Haunted Mirror from across the room, you’ll likely earn 1 or 2 stars. But, if you take a picture of the Mirror from one meter away, you have a better chance of getting those 3 stars.
Here’s a general guide on how to ensure a three-star photo in Phasmophobia:
1-Star: Over 4.5 meters from an interaction, or over 8 meters away from the Ghost.
2-Stars: Between 1.5 meters and 4.5 meters from an interaction, or between 4-8 meters away from the Ghost.
3-Stars: Under 1.5 meters away from an interaction, or less than 4 meters away from the Ghost.
So, why should you care about how many stars a photo earns you? Well, aside from affecting how much money and XP you’ll earn, it will also dictate whether you earn a perfect game or not.
How to Get a Perfect Game in Phasmophobia
There are a number of criteria for achieving a “perfect game” in Phasmophobia. You need to:
- Identify the correct ghost
- Complete all optional objectives
- Collect the Bone
- Take 10 3-star photos (every photo must be three stars).
A common misconception is that you have to take a photo of the ghost to earn a perfect game. This isn’t necessary, and at harder difficulties, it’s pretty dangerous to try and get a photo of the ghost. You should prioritize ensuring your photos are of 3-star quality, rather than trying to get a ghost photo.
If you do accidentally take a 1 or 2-star photo, luckily you can now delete up to 2 photos per contract.
If you achieve all of the above and leave the map alive, you will achieve a perfect investigation bonus worth $50 (which can be multiplied depending on your difficulty).
That’s been our guide on taking photos in Phasmophobia. Good luck taking 3-star photos and hopefully you can use your newfound skills to earn that distinguished perfect investigation.
