diff --git a/portrait_compositor.py b/portrait_compositor.py
index 8995886..1ea0e65 100644
--- a/portrait_compositor.py
+++ b/portrait_compositor.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import thread
 from websocket import create_connection
 import logging
 import json
+from io import BytesIO
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 logger = logging.getLogger('portraits')
@@ -78,10 +79,15 @@ def updateStats(type, name, count, image_filename):
 			# only send every one in x image, so that the server never can
 			# retrace _exact_ faces by comparing the sent frames.
 			with open(image_filename) as fp:
+				im = Image.open(fp)
+				bytesImg = BytesIO()
+				im.save(bytesImg, format='jpeg')
+				bytesImg.seek(0)
+
 				logger.info('send request including image')
 				r = requests.post(
 					url ,
-					files={'image': fp},
+					files={'image': bytesImg},
 					params=params
 				)
 		else: