diff --git a/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.cpp b/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.cpp
index e678d07..9482ed9 100644
--- a/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.cpp
+++ b/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.cpp
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 #include "CvMatRender.hpp"
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <memory>
 
 using namespace pixelarium::imaging;
 
-pixelarium::render::CvMatRender::CvMatRender(const Image& img)
+pixelarium::render::CvMatRender::CvMatRender(const std::shared_ptr<Image>& img)
+    : _base(img), _texture(0)
 {
-    this->_img = img.GetImage();
-    this->_texture = 0;
-
-    cv::cvtColor(this->_img, this->_img, cv::COLOR_BGR2RGBA);
+    this->_img = this->_base->GetImage().clone();
+    // // storing a copy of the to-be-rendered image with a "well-behaved"
+    // cv::cvtColor(this->_img, this->_img, cv::COLOR_BGR2RGBA);
 }
 
 /*static*/ void pixelarium::render::matToTexture(const cv::Mat& image, GLuint* texture)
@@ -42,8 +43,11 @@ pixelarium::render::CvMatRender::CvMatRender(const Image& img)
     }
 }
 
-GLuint pixelarium::render::CvMatRender::Render()
+GLuint* pixelarium::render::CvMatRender::Render()
 {
-    matToTexture(this->_img, &this->_texture);
-    return this->_texture;
+    // storing a copy of the to-be-rendered image with a "well-behaved"
+    cv::cvtColor(this->_img, this->_img, cv::COLOR_BGR2RGBA);
+    if (this->_texture == 0)
+        matToTexture(this->_img, &this->_texture);
+    return &this->_texture;
 }
diff --git a/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.hpp b/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.hpp
index 2b05b27..2bdd6c3 100644
--- a/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.hpp
+++ b/lib/rendering/CvMatRender.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
+// windows. must come before GL/GL.h here.
+// clang format would change this, effectively rendering the build broken.
+// clang-format off
+#include <memory>
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <GL/GL.h>
@@ -10,20 +14,21 @@
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>  // Will drag system OpenGL headers
 #endif
 #include "imaging/Image.hpp"
+// clang-format on
 
 namespace pixelarium::render
 {
-    static void matToTexture(const cv::Mat& image,
-                         GLuint* texture);
+static void matToTexture(const cv::Mat& image, GLuint* texture);
 class CvMatRender
 {
    public:
-    explicit CvMatRender(const pixelarium::imaging::Image& img);
-    // void* Render();
-    GLuint Render();
+    CvMatRender() = default;
+    explicit CvMatRender(const std::shared_ptr<pixelarium::imaging::Image>& img);
+    GLuint* Render();
 
    private:
     cv::Mat _img;
+    std::shared_ptr<pixelarium::imaging::Image> _base;
     GLuint _texture;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/AppGLFW.cpp b/src/AppGLFW.cpp
index 4e95b3d..d769fe7 100644
--- a/src/AppGLFW.cpp
+++ b/src/AppGLFW.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #include "AppGLFW.hpp"
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include "imgui.h"
 
@@ -115,9 +117,9 @@ int pixelarium::ui::AppGLFW::Run()
 
         if (this->_imagep)
         {
-            auto render = render::CvMatRender(this->_img);
+            // auto render = render::CvMatRender(this->_img);
             ImGui::Begin("An image", &this->_imagep, NULL);
-            ImGui::Image(render.Render(), ImVec2(this->_img.GetImage().cols, this->_img.GetImage().rows));
+            ImGui::Image(*this->_render.Render(), ImVec2(this->_img->GetImage().cols, this->_img->GetImage().rows));
             ImGui::End();
         }
 
@@ -185,7 +187,9 @@ void pixelarium::ui::AppGLFW::LoadImageProt()
         // lg::Logger::Debug("Adding image from " + std::string(p),
         // __FUNCTION__);
 
-        this->_img = Image(p);
+        // this->_img = Image(p);
+        this->_img = std::make_shared<Image>(p);
+        this->_render = pixelarium::render::CvMatRender(this->_img);
         this->_imagep = true;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/AppGLFW.hpp b/src/AppGLFW.hpp
index ca69ff6..cc6ab24 100644
--- a/src/AppGLFW.hpp
+++ b/src/AppGLFW.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "imgui.h"
 #include "imgui_impl_glfw.h"
 #include "imgui_impl_opengl3.h"
+#include "rendering/CvMatRender.hpp"
 
 namespace pixelarium::ui
 {
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ class AppGLFW
     LogLevelSelection log_level_ = static_cast<LogLevelSelection>(0);
     GLFWwindow* window = nullptr;
     ImGuiWindowFlags window_flags = 0;
-    pixelarium::imaging::Image _img;
+    std::shared_ptr<pixelarium::imaging::Image> _img;
+    pixelarium::render::CvMatRender _render;
     bool _imagep { false };
 };