Help with my ESP32 Camera code | Take photo and email it

Hello,

I’m hoping for some Arduino IDE help. I am using this ESP32-CAM-MB.

I have combined two separate sketches in an attempt to create an ESP32 camera webserver that captures a photo when the /capture URL is called, and then emails the photo. The sketch I have created from the two originals is below, with credit to the original author of both. My sketch works (sometimes), but the photo seems to only come in clearly (if it does) on the first photo after boot. Perhaps there is some way to better-manage the available memory?

/*********
  Rui Santos
  Complete project details at https://RandomNerdTutorials.com/esp32-cam-take-photo-display-web-server/
  
  IMPORTANT!!! 
   - Select Board "AI Thinker ESP32-CAM"
   - GPIO 0 must be connected to GND to upload a sketch
   - After connecting GPIO 0 to GND, press the ESP32-CAM on-board RESET button to put your board in flashing mode
  
  The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
  copies or substantial portions of the Software.
*********/

#include "WiFi.h"
#include "esp_camera.h"
#include "esp_timer.h"
#include "img_converters.h"
#include "Arduino.h"
#include "soc/soc.h"           // Disable brownout problems
#include "soc/rtc_cntl_reg.h"  // Disable brownout problems
#include "driver/rtc_io.h"
#include <ESPAsyncWebServer.h>
#include <StringArray.h>
#include <SPIFFS.h>
#include <FS.h>
#include "SPI.h"
#include "ESP32_MailClient.h"

// Replace with your network credentials
const char* ssid = "SSID";
const char* password = "PASSWORD";

#define emailSenderAccount    "[email protected]"
#define emailSenderPassword   "pass"
#define smtpServer            "smtp.gmail.com"
#define smtpServerPort        465
#define emailSubject          "ESP32-CAM Photo Captured"
#define emailRecipient        "[email protected]"

// Set your Static IP address
IPAddress local_IP(192, 168, 50, 52);
// Set your Gateway IP address
IPAddress gateway(192, 168, 50, 1);
IPAddress subnet(255, 255, 0, 0);
//IPAddress primaryDNS(8, 8, 8, 8); //optional
//IPAddress secondaryDNS(8, 8, 4, 4); //optional

// Create AsyncWebServer object on port 80
AsyncWebServer server(80);

boolean takeNewPhoto = false;

// Photo File Name to save in SPIFFS
#define FILE_PHOTO "/photo.jpg"

// OV2640 camera module pins (CAMERA_MODEL_AI_THINKER)
#define PWDN_GPIO_NUM     32
#define RESET_GPIO_NUM    -1
#define XCLK_GPIO_NUM      0
#define SIOD_GPIO_NUM     26
#define SIOC_GPIO_NUM     27
#define Y9_GPIO_NUM       35
#define Y8_GPIO_NUM       34
#define Y7_GPIO_NUM       39
#define Y6_GPIO_NUM       36
#define Y5_GPIO_NUM       21
#define Y4_GPIO_NUM       19
#define Y3_GPIO_NUM       18
#define Y2_GPIO_NUM        5
#define VSYNC_GPIO_NUM    25
#define HREF_GPIO_NUM     23
#define PCLK_GPIO_NUM     22

const char index_html[] PROGMEM = R"rawliteral(
<!DOCTYPE HTML><html>
<head>
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <style>
    body { text-align:center; }
    .vert { margin-bottom: 10%; }
    .hori{ margin-bottom: 0%; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="container">
    <h2>ESP32-CAM Last Photo</h2>
    <p>It might take more than 5 seconds to capture a photo.</p>
    <p>
      <button onclick="rotatePhoto();">ROTATE</button>
      <button onclick="capturePhoto()">CAPTURE PHOTO</button>
      <button onclick="location.reload();">REFRESH PAGE</button>
    </p>
  </div>
  <div><img src="saved-photo" id="photo" width="70%"></div>
</body>
<script>
  var deg = 0;
  function capturePhoto() {
    var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
    xhr.open('GET', "/capture", true);
    xhr.send();
  }
  function rotatePhoto() {
    var img = document.getElementById("photo");
    deg += 90;
    if(isOdd(deg/90)){ document.getElementById("container").className = "vert"; }
    else{ document.getElementById("container").className = "hori"; }
    img.style.transform = "rotate(" + deg + "deg)";
  }
  function isOdd(n) { return Math.abs(n % 2) == 1; }
</script>
</html>)rawliteral";

void setup() {
  // Serial port for debugging purposes
  Serial.begin(115200);

  // Connect to Wi-Fi
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(1000);
    Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi...");
  }
  if (!SPIFFS.begin(true)) {
    Serial.println("An Error has occurred while mounting SPIFFS");
    ESP.restart();
  }
  else {
    delay(500);
    Serial.println("SPIFFS mounted successfully");
  }

  // Print ESP32 Local IP Address
  Serial.print("IP Address: http://");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());

  // Turn-off the 'brownout detector'
  WRITE_PERI_REG(RTC_CNTL_BROWN_OUT_REG, 0);

  // OV2640 camera module
  camera_config_t config;
  config.ledc_channel = LEDC_CHANNEL_0;
  config.ledc_timer = LEDC_TIMER_0;
  config.pin_d0 = Y2_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d1 = Y3_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d2 = Y4_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d3 = Y5_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d4 = Y6_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d5 = Y7_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d6 = Y8_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d7 = Y9_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_xclk = XCLK_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_pclk = PCLK_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_vsync = VSYNC_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_href = HREF_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_sscb_sda = SIOD_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_sscb_scl = SIOC_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_pwdn = PWDN_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_reset = RESET_GPIO_NUM;
  config.xclk_freq_hz = 20000000;
  config.pixel_format = PIXFORMAT_JPEG;

  if (psramFound()) {
    config.frame_size = FRAMESIZE_UXGA;
    config.jpeg_quality = 10;
    config.fb_count = 2;
  } else {
    config.frame_size = FRAMESIZE_SVGA;
    config.jpeg_quality = 12;
    config.fb_count = 1;
  }
  // Camera init
  esp_err_t err = esp_camera_init(&config);
  if (err != ESP_OK) {
    Serial.printf("Camera init failed with error 0x%x", err);
    ESP.restart();
  }

  // Route for root / web page
  server.on("/", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest * request) {
    request->send_P(200, "text/html", index_html);
  });

  server.on("/capture", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest * request) {
    takeNewPhoto = true;
    request->send_P(200, "text/plain", "Taking Photo");
  });

  server.on("/saved-photo", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest * request) {
    request->send(SPIFFS, FILE_PHOTO, "image/jpg", false);
  });

  // Start server
  server.begin();

}

void loop() {
  if (takeNewPhoto) {
    capturePhotoSaveSpiffs();
    sendPhoto();
    takeNewPhoto = false;
  }
  delay(1);
}

// Check if photo capture was successful
bool checkPhoto( fs::FS &fs ) {
  File f_pic = fs.open( FILE_PHOTO );
  unsigned int pic_sz = f_pic.size();
  return ( pic_sz > 100 );
}

// Capture Photo and Save it to SPIFFS
void capturePhotoSaveSpiffs( void ) {
  camera_fb_t * fb = NULL; // pointer
  bool ok = 0; // Boolean indicating if the picture has been taken correctly

  do {
    // Take a photo with the camera
    Serial.println("Taking a photo...");

    fb = esp_camera_fb_get();
    if (!fb) {
      Serial.println("Camera capture failed");
      return;
    }

    // Photo file name
    Serial.printf("Picture file name: %s\n", FILE_PHOTO);
    File file = SPIFFS.open(FILE_PHOTO, FILE_WRITE);

    // Insert the data in the photo file
    if (!file) {
      Serial.println("Failed to open file in writing mode");
    }
    else {
      file.write(fb->buf, fb->len); // payload (image), payload length
      Serial.print("The picture has been saved in ");
      Serial.print(FILE_PHOTO);
      Serial.print(" - Size: ");
      Serial.print(file.size());
      Serial.println(" bytes");
    }
    // Close the file
    file.close();
    esp_camera_fb_return(fb);
    

    // check if file has been correctly saved in SPIFFS
    ok = checkPhoto(SPIFFS);
  } while ( !ok );
}

SMTPData smtpData;

  void sendPhoto( void ) {
  // Preparing email
  Serial.println("Sending email...");
  // Set the SMTP Server Email host, port, account and password
  smtpData.setLogin(smtpServer, smtpServerPort, emailSenderAccount, emailSenderPassword);
  
  // Set the sender name and Email
  smtpData.setSender("ESP32-CAM", emailSenderAccount);
  
  // Set Email priority or importance High, Normal, Low or 1 to 5 (1 is highest)
  smtpData.setPriority("High");

  // Set the subject
  smtpData.setSubject(emailSubject);
    
  // Set the email message in HTML format
  smtpData.setMessage("<h2>Photo captured with ESP32-CAM and attached in this email.</h2>", true);
  // Set the email message in text format
  //smtpData.setMessage("Photo captured with ESP32-CAM and attached in this email.", false);

  // Add recipients, can add more than one recipient
  smtpData.addRecipient(emailRecipient);
  //smtpData.addRecipient(emailRecipient2);

  // Add attach files from SPIFFS
  smtpData.addAttachFile(FILE_PHOTO, "image/jpg");
  // Set the storage type to attach files in your email (SPIFFS)
  smtpData.setFileStorageType(MailClientStorageType::SPIFFS);

  smtpData.setSendCallback(sendCallback);
  
  // Start sending Email, can be set callback function to track the status
  if (!MailClient.sendMail(smtpData))
    Serial.println("Error sending Email, " + MailClient.smtpErrorReason());

  // Clear all data from Email object to free memory
  smtpData.empty();
}

// Callback function to get the Email sending status
void sendCallback(SendStatus msg) {
  //Print the current status
  Serial.println(msg.info());
}```

This is a question for the Arduino forums.