Updated: May 20, 2026 
Photo Mode in Forza Horizon 6 is one of those features that a lot of players tap once and forget about. But if you actually spend a bit of time with it, you'll find it does way more than just let you snap pretty pictures. From earning Festival XP to unlocking in-game rewards, Photo Mode is actually worth learning.
Forza Horizon 6 Photo Mode Guide
Getting into Photo Mode is simple. If you're on a controller, press Up on the D-Pad. On PC with a keyboard, press P. You can do this while driving around the open world or right at the start of a race.
Once you're in, the world pauses around you, and the camera activates. You're free to move it around and frame your shot without any time pressure.
How to Take Photos in Forza Horizon 6
Moving the camera is easy once you know the buttons. Here are the buttons you need to use for Forza Horizon 6 Photo Mode:
| Action | Controller | PC Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Move Camera | Left Stick | WASD |
| Rotate Camera | Right Stick | Arrow Keys |
| Move Camera Up | Press R2 | Press Page Up |
| Move Camera Down | Press L2 | Press Page Down |
| Take Photo | Press A (Xbox) / X (PlayStation) | Press Enter |
Advanced Camera Controls
These are the advanced camera controls you can toggle inside Photo Mode:
| Camera Controls | Description |
|---|---|
| Altitude | Moves the camera up or down. Useful for getting a low ground-level shot or if you want an aerial shoot at your car. |
| Zoom | Brings the camera closer or pushes it further away. |
| Pitch | Tilts the camera up or down on its horizontal axis. So, if you want the camera angled down toward the car from above, or tilted up to shoot from a low angle looking at the sky, you need to toggle the pitch button. |
| Yaw | Rotates the camera left or right while keeping it in place. |
| Roll | Tilts the camera on its diagonal axis, creating a leaning or tilted frame. |
Together these six controls give you full 3D freedom over the camera. Most players only use basic movement, but combining pitch, yaw, and roll is how you get those really polished, magazine-style shots.
The Effects Menu
Before you take your shot, press Y on Xbox, Triangle on PlayStation, or Y on keyboard to open the Effects menu. This is where you can get creative.
You can adjust the depth of field to blur the background, change color grading, tweak brightness and contrast, and even reposition your character from the driver's seat to standing in front of or beside the car.
After you take a shot, select Continue and then choose to save the photo. When saving, you can add a description and tags to your photo. Once it's shared with the community, other players can like it, and the Forza Horizon team can even feature it.
Where Can You Take Photos in Forza Horizon 6?
You are not limited to shooting photos out in the open world. There are actually a few other spots worth knowing about:
In Your Garage
If you want clean shots of your car, head to any garage you own. Go to the Customizable Garage tab, select View Garage, and you'll see the Photo Mode option in the bottom left of the screen. It's a great spot for showing off a custom paint job or a freshly tuned build.
At Car Meetups, Parking Areas, and Player Houses
Around the map, you'll find meetup spots where other players park up and hang out. At these locations, you can photograph other players' cars too, not just your own. It's a fun way to browse the community's builds and grab some great shots at the same time. You can also visit Player Houses and take photos of them.
Using ANNA's Drone
There's also a drone option through ANNA, your in-game assistant. Whenever you're out exploring, you can open ANNA and use the Drone to photograph your car from above or at interesting angles. Although this is not the actual Photo Mode, but I feel like this one can capture the whole environment beautifully.
How to Use Photo Mode in Forza Horizon 6
Earn Festival XP
Every time you take a photo of a car you haven't photographed before, you earn 10 Festival XP toward your next wristband. The best time to grind photo XP is right at the start of a race.
The second the lights go green, open Photo Mode. Then press RB on Xbox or R1 on PlayStation, and P on PC to take a Quickshot. This is a fast snapshot that captures any car in your frame without you needing to save it manually.
Point the camera forward and snap the cars ahead of you, then turn it around and snap the ones behind. With a race grid of up to 12 cars, you can capture 6 or 7 new cars easily. That's up to 70 Festival XP per race, just from a quick camera snap.
Cars With a Camera Icon
As you drive around, keep an eye out for cars that have a small camera icon floating above them. That icon means you haven't added that car to your Horizon Promo collection yet. Pull up Photo Mode and take a Quickshot to add it instantly. There are around 600 cars in the game, so this is a long-term project, but every new one you snap gets you closer to the full collection and its rewards.
Photo Challenges Worth Doing
Beyond Festival XP, there are two specific in-game systems tied to photography:
Discover Japan
In your Campaign tab, under Collection Journal, there's a Discover Japan section with a photography category.
You'll need to photograph specific landmarks scattered around Japan. Each landmark photo earns you points, and stacking enough points unlocks various rewards.
Horizon Festival Promo
This is the full car photography collection mentioned earlier. Your goal is to photograph every car in the game. It's a huge task, but the rewards include some standout vehicles, including a classic Ferrari for early milestones.
Photo Mode in Forza Horizon 6 is more useful than most players give it credit for. Start using it every race, and you will notice how fast your wristband progress moves. Plus, with this, you can actually save so many photos and use them as your own wallpaper on your phone or PC!
For more tips, guides, and info about this game, you can always check our dedicated Forza Horizon Wiki.
