.

[saucySheep]

I've tried every method and only 2 of my residents have given me their photos. Ankha gave me hers in the mail the day after her birthday & Flip (who was one of my starters) gave me his after I gave him a random gift I thought he'd like. Ankha actually gave me hers first and she isn't my other starter. Out of the 8 I'm still trying to get 5 of the residents are part of my "original" group of 10. The remaining 3 I've all had for over a month and am able to do all the "best friend" things with. I'm getting so frustrated trying to gets these photos. I feel like I wasted resources making iron wall lamps, wasted fruit, wasted Bells on wrapping paper and have definitely wasted a TON of time.

well, they are insanely hard to get if you haven't noticed
my advice is to only bother with the photos you actually, really want - and for the villagers you don't like as much, you can just do an online trade to get their photo OR just give up on them entirely - one time I spent about 2 months trying to get Lucy's photo, and I eventually did and I completed my set, but then I realized it wasn't even worth it because I disliked Lucy and I could've kicked her out LOOOONNGG ago had I not tried for the photo :/

 

[Livia]

I’ve been having really good luck getting photos with giant clams. I got Willow’s recently with a clam and she only moved in at the end of September. It’s also easier because you just have to walk along the beach and look for them.

 

[Sharksheep]

I've tried every method and only 2 of my residents have given me their photos. Ankha gave me hers in the mail the day after her birthday & Flip (who was one of my starters) gave me his after I gave him a random gift I thought he'd like. Ankha actually gave me hers first and she isn't my other starter. Out of the 8 I'm still trying to get 5 of the residents are part of my "original" group of 10. The remaining 3 I've all had for over a month and am able to do all the "best friend" things with. I'm getting so frustrated trying to gets these photos. I feel like I wasted resources making iron wall lamps, wasted fruit, wasted Bells on wrapping paper and have definitely wasted a TON of time.

I do time travel to farm photos when I'm in the mood to villager hunt I think the longest ever was about 3 months of in game days. Most recent memory, Static took over 2 months.

If you don't time travel you can try to save scum to get the photo in a single day but it can still take a while.

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I’ve been having really good luck getting photos with giant clams. I got Willow’s recently with a clam and she only moved in at the end of September. It’s also easier because you just have to walk along the beach and look for them.

I had decent luck with giant clams but I only do it when I know their friendship is close to max because I can't be bothered with wrapping it up since it doesn't increase the friendship points and wrapped presents doesn't increase the chance for a photo.

 

[hakutaku]

I've gotten most of my perma villager's photos now using the wrapped fruit method. But that's from months of persistence lol. Even if your friendship is high with them it's really random, Audie gave me her photo weeks before Lucky did, and I've had him for way longer.

 

[Chungus]

I do time travel to farm photos when I'm in the mood to villager hunt I think the longest ever was about 3 months of in game days. Most recent memory, Static took over 2 months.

If you don't time travel you can try to save scum to get the photo in a single day but it can still take a while.

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I had decent luck with giant clams but I only do it when I know their friendship is close to max because I can't be bothered with wrapping it up since it doesn't increase the friendship points and wrapped presents doesn't increase the chance for a photo.

Wrapping paper doesn't increase friendship points AT ALL or just for the clams?

 

[Valzed]

well, they are insanely hard to get if you haven't noticed
my advice is to only bother with the photos you actually, really want - and for the villagers you don't like as much, you can just do an online trade to get their photo OR just give up on them entirely - one time I spent about 2 months trying to get Lucy's photo, and I eventually did and I completed my set, but then I realized it wasn't even worth it because I disliked Lucy and I could've kicked her out LOOOONNGG ago had I not tried for the photo :/

Considering I've been trying to get my other starter's photo since launch and have tried a ton of methods, I have noticed they're insanely hard to get. The point of my post was that even with trying so many methods I'm still having problems getting the photos. I like all of my current residents so I'm not planning on giving up. I was just venting about how annoying Nintendo has made this process.

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I’ve been having really good luck getting photos with giant clams. I got Willow’s recently with a clam and she only moved in at the end of September. It’s also easier because you just have to walk along the beach and look for them.

I hadn't tried giant clams. I was hearing mixed things on how successful it was. Since it worked for you maybe I'll give it a try. Thanks!

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I do time travel to farm photos when I'm in the mood to villager hunt I think the longest ever was about 3 months of in game days. Most recent memory, Static took over 2 months.

If you don't time travel you can try to save scum to get the photo in a single day but it can still take a while.

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I don't time travel which I know is adding to how long it's taking but it's just the play style I enjoy. What is save scum? I'm not familiar with this. I'm sorry if you already explained it. Thank you!

 

[Sharksheep]

Wrapping paper doesn't increase friendship points AT ALL or just for the clams?

Wrapping paper increases it by 1 until you hit max friendship at 255. At the point I stopped wrapping.

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2020

I don't time travel which I know is adding to how long it's taking but it's just the play style I enjoy. What is save scum? I'm not familiar with this. I'm sorry if you already explained it. Thank you!

It's the same idea as getting the camper to kick out a specific villager. You give them the gift that greater than 750 sell value and see what they give back, if they don't give a photo just quit the game immediately. And rinse and repeat until you get a photo. I never done it with this method but other people have.

 

[Sharksheep]

Updating the guide a bit

• Nothing was changed regarding photos
• Added new information about getting multiple photos

 

[Livia]

I know you said nothing was changed, but I was wondering if the update made it easier to get photos. I got Bluebear’s photo extremely quickly. I invited her from a mystery island on October 24 and got her photo November 27. I gifted her a giant clam every day, but I didn’t always wrap it. It seems like that wasn’t enough time to get the right amount of friendship points for a photo.

 

[Sharksheep]

I know you said nothing was changed, but I was wondering if the update made it easier to get photos. I got Bluebear’s photo extremely quickly. I invited her from a mystery island on October 24 and got her photo November 27. I gifted her a giant clam every day, but I didn’t always wrap it. It seems like that wasn’t enough time to get the right amount of friendship points for a photo.

Did you also complete her requests (bug catching deliveries), lost items, give medicine, or catch fleas off of her? Those also increase friendship as well. If you were doing a lot of them for her, you can get to higher friendship quickier.

 

[Livia]

Did you also complete her requests (bug catching deliveries), lost items, give medicine, or catch fleas off of her? Those also increase friendship as well. If you were doing a lot of them for her, you can get to higher friendship quickier.

I never catch bugs or fish for my villagers, but I could have done other requests. The only thing I remember is one of my other villagers had a delivery request to give Bluebear a gift which I completed.

 

[Sharksheep]

I never catch bugs or fish for my villagers, but I could have done other requests. The only thing I remember is one of my other villagers had a delivery request to give Bluebear a gift which I completed.

Bluebear should have been unpacked on October 26. So between then the November 27, you had 32 days so you just entered best friends and gotten incredibly lucky and got her photo quickly from doing her quests, fleas, lost items, or medicine.

 

[burrizo]

I wonder if the fruit trick still works cuz I read the friendship guide saying in the update the gift have to have a sell price > 750 for the return gift to be a photo, and a non-native fruit only sells for 500

 

[WaileaNoRei]

The update to 750 happened in the second summer update (as far as I remember). The fruit stack trick still works (the one with full pockets and giving a single unwrapped fruit out of a stack). For gifting wrapped fruit you do need to give a stack of 2+ wrapped fruit to be able to get a photo in exchange (or 3+ wrapped coconuts).

 

[maria110]

Omgosh, I have misunderstood the fruit stack concept. This guide is very helpful. I'll be eager to see I can earn photos more quickly using some of these tips.

 

[JKDOS]

Can someone explain why you need a full inventory?

 

[Sharksheep]

Can someone explain why you need a full inventory?

It forces them to mail you a gift instead of giving it to you. Mailed items have a slightly higher chance of being a photo.

 

[Dnalex]

It forces them to mail you a gift instead of giving it to you. Mailed items have a slightly higher chance of being a photo.

So, a few observations, based on my having started playing late September.

1. It’s not that difficult to get photos, and actually doesn’t take that long.
2. You do not need the full inventory trick.
3. The foreign fruits works well.

Here is my method. It does take a LOT of fruits, but I get photos from ALL my villagers between 2-4 weeks:

1. Always use foreign fruit, and always wrap.
2. Before getting photos, I give 5 wrapped fruits a day. That’s $2500 value + bonus for wrapping.
3. I talk to my villagers between 4-8 times a day.
4. Although not necessary, I still give fruits to my villagers after getting photos, although I decrease it to 2 wrapped fruits.
5. I don’t give them furniture as a matter of practice.
6. I DO give them clothes, because customizing

 

[Sharksheep]

Updated February 6 for version 1.7.X

• Nothing was changed regarding photos
• Gifting any clothing is considered unsafe. They will store all of them. Shoes can be displayed in villagers' houses now.

 

[Sharksheep]

Just keeping this up to date while I'm still active on this forum even though nothing change between versions. I'll be removing this link from my signature in the future so please bookmark this thread if you still reference this.
Updated March 2 for version 1.8.X

• Nothing was changed regarding photos