diff --git a/configs/config.json b/configs/config.json
index 9877dafc..6c25ad69 100644
--- a/configs/config.json
+++ b/configs/config.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
         "_comment": "See CameraConfig struct in datatypes.hpp for detailed explanations",
         "type": "lucid",
         "save_dir": "/obcpp/images/",
+        "save_images_to_file": true,
         "mock": {
             "images_dir": "/obcpp/tests/integration/images/saliency/"
         },
diff --git a/configs/dev-config.json b/configs/dev-config.json
index 096ba40b..8abfaeb3 100644
--- a/configs/dev-config.json
+++ b/configs/dev-config.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
         "_comment": "See CameraConfig struct in datatypes.hpp for detailed explanations",
         "type": "mock",
         "save_dir": "/workspaces/obcpp/images/",
+        "save_images_to_file": false,
         "mock": {
             "images_dir": "/workspaces/obcpp/tests/integration/images/saliency/"
         },
diff --git a/include/camera/interface.hpp b/include/camera/interface.hpp
index 52567a13..ef7b3df5 100644
--- a/include/camera/interface.hpp
+++ b/include/camera/interface.hpp
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ struct ImageData {
     cv::Mat DATA;
     uint64_t TIMESTAMP;
     std::optional<ImageTelemetry> TELEMETRY;
+
+    /**
+     * Saves the image to a file
+     * @param directory directory to save the image in
+     * @returns true/false if saving was successful
+     */
+    bool saveToFile(std::string directory) const;
 };
 
 std::string cvMatToBase64(cv::Mat image);
diff --git a/include/utilities/obc_config.hpp b/include/utilities/obc_config.hpp
index 36906a61..a3c4575c 100644
--- a/include/utilities/obc_config.hpp
+++ b/include/utilities/obc_config.hpp
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ struct CameraConfig {
     std::string type;
     // directory to save images to
     std::string save_dir;
+    // whether or not to save to save_dir
+    bool save_images_to_file;
     struct {
         // directory to randomly pick images from
         // for the mock camera
diff --git a/src/camera/interface.cpp b/src/camera/interface.cpp
index 839f5278..80c7fa94 100644
--- a/src/camera/interface.cpp
+++ b/src/camera/interface.cpp
@@ -69,3 +69,22 @@ std::optional<ImageTelemetry> queryMavlinkImageTelemetry(
     .roll_deg = roll_deg
   };
 }
+
+bool ImageData::saveToFile(std::string directory) const {
+    try {
+        std::filesystem::path save_dir = directory;
+        std::filesystem::path img_filepath =
+            save_dir / (std::to_string(this->TIMESTAMP) + std::string(".jpg"));
+        std::filesystem::path json_filepath =
+            save_dir / (std::to_string(this->TIMESTAMP) + std::string(".json"));
+        saveImageToFile(this->DATA, img_filepath);
+        if (this->TELEMETRY.has_value()) {
+            saveImageTelemetryToFile(this->TELEMETRY.value(), json_filepath);
+        }
+    } catch (std::exception& e) {
+        LOG_F(ERROR, "Failed to save image and telemetry to file");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/network/gcs_routes.cpp b/src/network/gcs_routes.cpp
index ad5ec582..61f50e8c 100644
--- a/src/network/gcs_routes.cpp
+++ b/src/network/gcs_routes.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,10 @@ DEF_GCS_HANDLE(Get, camera, capture) {
 
     std::optional<ImageData> image = cam->takePicture(1000ms, state->getMav());
 
+    if (state->config.camera.save_images_to_file) {
+        image->saveToFile(state->config.camera.save_dir);
+    }
+
     if (!image.has_value()) {
         LOG_RESPONSE(ERROR, "Failed to capture image", INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
         return;
@@ -244,20 +248,6 @@ DEF_GCS_HANDLE(Get, camera, capture) {
 
     std::optional<ImageTelemetry> telemetry = image->TELEMETRY;
 
-    try {
-        std::filesystem::path save_dir = state->config.camera.save_dir;
-        std::filesystem::path img_filepath =
-            save_dir / (std::to_string(image->TIMESTAMP) + std::string(".jpg"));
-        std::filesystem::path json_filepath =
-            save_dir / (std::to_string(image->TIMESTAMP) + std::string(".json"));
-        saveImageToFile(image->DATA, img_filepath);
-        if (image->TELEMETRY.has_value()) {
-            saveImageTelemetryToFile(image->TELEMETRY.value(), json_filepath);
-        }
-    } catch (std::exception& e) {
-        LOG_F(ERROR, "Failed to save image and telemetry to file");
-    }
-
     ManualImage manual_image;
     manual_image.set_img_b64(cvMatToBase64(image->DATA));
     manual_image.set_timestamp(image->TIMESTAMP);
diff --git a/src/ticks/fly_search.cpp b/src/ticks/fly_search.cpp
index 4780579f..f8637877 100644
--- a/src/ticks/fly_search.cpp
+++ b/src/ticks/fly_search.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ Tick* FlySearchTick::tick() {
     if (this->curr_mission_item != curr_waypoint) {
         for (int i = 0; i < this->state->config.pathing.coverage.hover.pictures_per_stop; i++) {
             auto photo = this->state->getCamera()->takePicture(500ms, this->state->getMav());
+            if (state->config.camera.save_images_to_file) {
+                photo->saveToFile(state->config.camera.save_dir);
+            }
 
             if (photo.has_value()) {
                 // Update the last photo time
diff --git a/src/utilities/obc_config.cpp b/src/utilities/obc_config.cpp
index d8fc31ab..cb7b4803 100644
--- a/src/utilities/obc_config.cpp
+++ b/src/utilities/obc_config.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ OBCConfig::OBCConfig(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
     SET_CONFIG_OPT(camera, type);
     SET_CONFIG_OPT(camera, save_dir);
+    SET_CONFIG_OPT(camera, save_images_to_file);
     SET_CONFIG_OPT(camera, mock, images_dir);
 
     SET_CONFIG_OPT(camera, lucid, sensor_shutter_mode);