The first step of the Sheltered Retreat project in ARC Raiders asks you to photograph a farmland house at the Ruined Homestead. It sounds simple, but the task now needs an actual camera in your loadout, and the location sits in a corner of The Blue Gate where a Bombardier likes to patrol. Here is exactly where to go and what to bring.
Quick answer: Load into The Blue Gate, head to the Ruined Homestead in the south of the map near the Olive Grove, equip a camera to a quick-use slot, aim with the right mouse button, and photograph any main farm building to update the objective.
Ruined Homestead location on The Blue Gate
The Ruined Homestead is a named point of interest in the southern part of The Blue Gate, the mountain-region map that unlocks at 18 rounds played. You will find it just below the Olive Grove and north-northwest of the Ancient Fort, so if you know the old lemon-and-olive farming spot, the farmhouses are a short walk south of it.
Several farm buildings are clustered together in this area. Any of the main houses counts toward the objective, so you do not need to hunt for one specific structure.
A Bombardier roams this part of the map, and its Spotters will ping your position for heavy fire. Keep an eye on the sky while you line up the shot.
Get a camera before you go
Photo tasks no longer work by walking up and interacting with a structure. You need a camera item equipped, which also means you can no longer rely on a free loadout to finish photo objectives. There are three ways to get one.
- Buy a Basic Camera from Shani for 1,920 Coins, or an Advanced Camera for 3,000 Coins.
- Craft a Basic Camera at the basic workbench using 8 Plastic Parts and 1 Wire.
- Accept a Pendola Pass quest such as Sizing Things Up, which hands you a camera when you take it on.
Until you reach the farmhouses, keep the camera in your safe pocket. It stays with you if you go down, preventing the Bombardier from taking it before you get the shot.
Camera stats and prices
Both cameras complete the task, so the choice comes down to weight, cost, and resale. Here are the confirmed figures.
| Camera | Rarity | Weight | Shani price / sell value |
|---|---|---|---|
 Basic Camera | Uncommon | 0.5 | 1,920 Coins / 640 |
 Advanced Camera | Rare | 0.5 | 3,000 Coins / 1,000 |
How to take the photo
Confirm it worked and extract
When the shot registers, the Sheltered Retreat objective ticks over from the photo step to the next task, which is gathering the Outpost build materials. If the objective does not change, reposition so a main farm building fills more of the frame and shoot again.
With the photo done, make for an exit. The Forest Airshaft sits within reach of the Homestead and is a reliable way out of the southern Blue Gate once you have what you came for.
Nearby Blue Gate locations
These points of interest sit around the Ruined Homestead and help you orient on the way in and out.
| Location | Loot category | Threat level |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Grove | Nature | — |
| Ancient Fort | Old World, Technological | 2 |
| Checkpoint | Mechanical | 3 |
| Pilgrim’s Peak | Electrical, Technological | 3 |
After the photo, the Sheltered Retreat project moves on to collecting Planks, Sheet Metal, ARC Alloy, and Advanced Electrical Components, then defending the build site against flying ARC and a Bully on Pendola Pass. The camera, though, is the one gate that stops most players cold, so get it sorted before you drop in.
