How to Get Four-Star Pictures in New Pokémon Snap

Photography, as a profession, rewards the rare and unusual (or at least I assume that’s how it works). Any schlub with a camera can take a photo of himself in the bathroom. It takes a real photo genius to immortalize truly one-of-a-kind moments on film, and that’s what makes the big bucks. Here’s how to get four-star pictures in New Pokémon Snap.

When Professor Mirror is judging the photos you take in New Pokémon Snap, he uses a star-based categorization system to denote how rare the behavior that the Pokémon in the photo is exhibiting is. The number of stars has nothing to do with the quality of the photo; the kinds of stars are what determines that (bronze, silver, gold, platinum). To give you an example, a photo of a Bidoof just standing there doing nothing is a one-star photo because it’s extremely common. By contrast, a four-star photo would be something you don’t see very often, like the Bidoof sticking its head up out of its dam.

How to Get Four-Star Pictures in New Pokémon Snap

There’s no uniform standard for four-star photos. Every Pokémon is different, after all; what may be completely ordinary for one may be absolutely unheard of for another. That said, the best way to hunt for four-star behaviors is to try and cajole Pokémon into unusual situations, either reacting to their environment or other Pokémon. 

Here’s a couple of examples:

• A four-star Dodrio photo would be of it leaping high into the air in an attempt to fly away.
• A four-star Skorupi photo would be of it getting swept up by a sand twister.
• A four-star Tangrowth photo would be of it using its vines to grapple and pull itself a long distance.
• A four-star Torterra photo would be of it yawning loudly after being woken up.

Triggering these behaviors is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. You can coax Pokémon into acting particular ways by using your tools, such as throwing fruit or Illumina Orbs at them, playing your Melody, or running your scan. Sometimes, though, it’s just a matter of looking in the right direction. 

Either way, you’ll want to experiment with different items and approaches with different Pokémon. Try a little bit of everything, and you’re sure to get something rare sooner or later.