diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bea19ff4..e01738d4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -25,3 +25,5 @@ ehthumbs.db
 Icon?
 Thumbs.db
 *.swp
+*.a
+*.so
diff --git a/examples/detector-scipy-opencv.py b/examples/detector-scipy-opencv.py
index 3bfc5913..bcf6475c 100644
--- a/examples/detector-scipy-opencv.py
+++ b/examples/detector-scipy-opencv.py
@@ -39,18 +39,17 @@ import darknet as dn
 net = dn.load_net("cfg/tiny-yolo.cfg", "tiny-yolo.weights", 0)
 meta = dn.load_meta("cfg/coco.data")
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/dog.jpg")
-print r
+print(r)
 
 # scipy
 arr= imread('data/dog.jpg')
 im = array_to_image(arr)
 r = detect2(net, meta, im)
-print r
+print(r)
 
 # OpenCV
 arr = cv2.imread('data/dog.jpg')
 im = array_to_image(arr)
 dn.rgbgr_image(im)
 r = detect2(net, meta, im)
-print r
-
+print(r)
diff --git a/examples/detector.py b/examples/detector.py
index 40bb365e..039c0f20 100644
--- a/examples/detector.py
+++ b/examples/detector.py
@@ -13,15 +13,14 @@ dn.set_gpu(0)
 net = dn.load_net("cfg/yolo-thor.cfg", "/home/pjreddie/backup/yolo-thor_final.weights", 0)
 meta = dn.load_meta("cfg/thor.data")
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/bedroom.jpg")
-print r
+print(r)
 
 # And then down here you could detect a lot more images like:
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/eagle.jpg")
-print r
+print(r)
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/giraffe.jpg")
-print r
+print(r)
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/horses.jpg")
-print r
+print(r)
 r = dn.detect(net, meta, "data/person.jpg")
-print r
-
+print(r)
diff --git a/python/darknet.py b/python/darknet.py
index 88d84cdb..21301b46 100644
--- a/python/darknet.py
+++ b/python/darknet.py
@@ -13,9 +13,21 @@ def sample(probs):
     return len(probs)-1
 
 def c_array(ctype, values):
-    arr = (ctype*len(values))()
-    arr[:] = values
-    return arr
+    new_values = values.ctypes.data_as(POINTER(ctype))
+    return new_values
+
+def array_to_image(arr):
+    import numpy as np
+    # need to return old values to avoid python freeing memory
+    arr = arr.transpose(2,0,1)
+    c = arr.shape[0]
+    h = arr.shape[1]
+    w = arr.shape[2]
+    arr = np.ascontiguousarray(arr.flat, dtype=np.float32) / 255.0
+    data = arr.ctypes.data_as(POINTER(c_float))
+    im = IMAGE(w,h,c,data)
+    return im, arr
+
 
 class BOX(Structure):
     _fields_ = [("x", c_float),
@@ -42,7 +54,6 @@ class METADATA(Structure):
     _fields_ = [("classes", c_int),
                 ("names", POINTER(c_char_p))]
 
-    
 
 #lib = CDLL("/home/pjreddie/documents/darknet/libdarknet.so", RTLD_GLOBAL)
 lib = CDLL("libdarknet.so", RTLD_GLOBAL)
@@ -141,7 +152,27 @@ def detect(net, meta, image, thresh=.5, hier_thresh=.5, nms=.45):
     free_image(im)
     free_detections(dets, num)
     return res
-    
+
+def detect_numpy(net, meta, image, thresh=.5, hier_thresh=.5, nms=.45):
+    im, arr = array_to_image(image)
+    num = c_int(0)
+    pnum = pointer(num)
+    predict_image(net, im)
+    dets = get_network_boxes(net, im.w, im.h, thresh, hier_thresh, None, 0, pnum)
+    num = pnum[0]
+    if (nms): do_nms_obj(dets, num, meta.classes, nms);
+
+    res = []
+    for j in range(num):
+        for i in range(meta.classes):
+            if dets[j].prob[i] > 0:
+                b = dets[j].bbox
+                res.append((meta.names[i], dets[j].prob[i], (b.x, b.y, b.w, b.h)))
+    res = sorted(res, key=lambda x: -x[1])
+    free_detections(dets, num)
+    return res
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     #net = load_net("cfg/densenet201.cfg", "/home/pjreddie/trained/densenet201.weights", 0)
     #im = load_image("data/wolf.jpg", 0, 0)
@@ -150,7 +181,27 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     #print r[:10]
     net = load_net("cfg/tiny-yolo.cfg", "tiny-yolo.weights", 0)
     meta = load_meta("cfg/coco.data")
-    r = detect(net, meta, "data/dog.jpg")
-    print r
-    
+    import scipy.misc
+    import time
+    '''
+    t_start = time.time()
+    for ii in range(100):
+        r = detect(net, meta, 'data/dog.jpg')
+    print(time.time() - t_start)
+    print(r)
+
+    image = scipy.misc.imread('data/dog.jpg')
+    for ii in range(100):
+        scipy.misc.imsave('/tmp/image.jpg', image)
+        r = detect(net, meta, '/tmp/image.jpg')
+    print(time.time() - t_start)
+    print(r)
+    '''
+
+    image = scipy.misc.imread('data/dog.jpg')
+    t_start = time.time()
+    for ii in range(100):
+        r = detect_numpy(net, meta, image)
+    print(time.time() - t_start)
+    print(r)