Over/under-exposure is a common problem when using trailcameras, making the camera images difficult to interpret. To understand over/under-exposure, we need to understand how the flash works. The flash automatically adjusts itself to the environment and to the animal in the picture. For example, an overhanging branch (or other object in the area) may draw the attention of the flash, causing the flash to no longer be correctly adjusted to the distance of the desired animal and thus underexpose it. When positioning your trailcamera, make sure that there is enough vegetation (structure) in the field of view on which the flash light can be reflected and that there are no disturbing objects present. If you choose a location with no background structure at all, or where the camera is pointed slightly upwards in the open field, the images will be very dark.

In addition, many trailcameras offer the option to pre-set the intensity of the flash (low - medium - high), so that you can take into account the proximity of the animal in advance and thus avoid overexposure. However, it can happen that an animal appears so close to the trailcamera that overexposure cannot be avoided. You can also take this into account when positioning the trailcamera, or if necessary you can cover the flash itself with semi-transparent tape.