diff --git a/openbr/core/core.cpp b/openbr/core/core.cpp
index 06b7194..6eba193 100644
--- a/openbr/core/core.cpp
+++ b/openbr/core/core.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ struct AlgorithmCore
         return fileList;
     }
 
+    void enroll(Template &data)
+    {
+        if (transform.isNull()) qFatal("Null transform.");
+        data >> *transform;
+    }
+
     void retrieveOrEnroll(const File &file, QScopedPointer<Gallery> &gallery, FileList &galleryFiles)
     {
         if (!file.getBool("enroll") && (QStringList() << "gal" << "mem" << "template").contains(file.suffix())) {
@@ -371,6 +377,11 @@ FileList br::Enroll(const File &input, const File &gallery)
     return AlgorithmManager::getAlgorithm(gallery.get<QString>("algorithm"))->enroll(input, gallery);
 }
 
+void br::Enroll(Template &tmpl)
+{
+    AlgorithmManager::getAlgorithm(tmpl.file.get<QString>("algorithm"))->enroll(tmpl);
+}
+
 void br::Compare(const File &targetGallery, const File &queryGallery, const File &output)
 {
     AlgorithmManager::getAlgorithm(output.get<QString>("algorithm"))->compare(targetGallery, queryGallery, output);
diff --git a/openbr/openbr.cpp b/openbr/openbr.cpp
index 0a0ccc7..41c16db 100644
--- a/openbr/openbr.cpp
+++ b/openbr/openbr.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "core/plot.h"
 #include "core/qtutils.h"
 #include "plugins/openbr_internal.h"
+#include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
 
 using namespace br;
 
@@ -114,6 +115,14 @@ void br_initialize(int &argc, char *argv[], const char *sdk_path)
     Context::initialize(argc, argv, sdk_path);
 }
 
+void br_initialize_default()
+{
+    int argc = 1;
+    char app[] = "br";
+    char *argv[1] = {app};
+    Context::initialize(argc, argv, "");
+}
+
 bool br_is_classifier(const char *algorithm)
 {
     return IsClassifier(algorithm);
@@ -289,3 +298,41 @@ void br_slave_process(const char * baseName)
     worker->mainLoop();
     delete worker;
 }
+
+br_template br_load_img(const char *data, int len)
+{
+    std::vector<char> buf(data, data+len);
+    cv::Mat img = cv::imdecode(cv::Mat(buf), CV_LOAD_IMAGE_COLOR);
+    Template *tmpl = new Template(img);
+    return (br_template)tmpl;
+}
+
+unsigned char *br_unload_img(br_template tmpl)
+{
+    Template *t = reinterpret_cast<Template*>(tmpl);
+    return t->m().data;
+}
+
+int br_img_rows(br_template tmpl)
+{
+    Template *t = reinterpret_cast<Template*>(tmpl);
+    return t->m().rows;
+}
+
+int br_img_cols(br_template tmpl)
+{
+    Template *t = reinterpret_cast<Template*>(tmpl);
+    return t->m().cols;
+}
+
+int br_img_channels(br_template tmpl)
+{
+    Template *t = reinterpret_cast<Template*>(tmpl);
+    return t->m().channels();
+}
+
+void br_enroll_template(br_template tmpl)
+{
+    Template *t = reinterpret_cast<Template*>(tmpl);
+    Enroll(*t);
+}
diff --git a/openbr/openbr.h b/openbr/openbr.h
index 93d0d8f..2690d0b 100644
--- a/openbr/openbr.h
+++ b/openbr/openbr.h
@@ -206,6 +206,11 @@ BR_EXPORT void br_fuse(int num_input_simmats, const char *input_simmats[],
  * \see br_finalize
  */
 BR_EXPORT void br_initialize(int &argc, char *argv[], const char *sdk_path = "");
+/*!
+ * \brief Wraps br::Context::initialize() with default arguments.
+ * \see br_finalize
+ */
+BR_EXPORT void br_initialize_default();
 
 /*!
  * \brief Wraps br::IsClassifier()
@@ -414,6 +419,41 @@ BR_EXPORT const char *br_version();
   */
 BR_EXPORT void br_slave_process(const char * baseKey);
 
+// to avoid having to include unwanted headers
+// this will be this header's conception of a template
+// any functions that need a Template pointer
+// will take this typedef and cast it
+typedef void* br_template;
+/*!
+  * \brief Load an image from a string buffer.
+  *   Easy way to pass an image in memory from another programming language to openbr.
+  * \param data The image buffer.
+  * \param len The length of the buffer.
+  * \see br_unload_img
+  */
+BR_EXPORT br_template br_load_img(const char *data, int len);
+/*!
+  * \brief Unload an image to a string buffer.
+  *   Easy way to pass an image from openbr to another programming language.
+  */
+BR_EXPORT unsigned char* br_unload_img(br_template tmpl);
+/*!
+  * \brief Get the number of rows in an image.
+  */
+BR_EXPORT int br_img_rows(br_template tmpl);
+/*!
+  * \brief Get the number of columns in an image.
+  */
+BR_EXPORT int br_img_cols(br_template tmpl);
+/*!
+  * \brief Get the number of channels in an image.
+  */
+BR_EXPORT int br_img_channels(br_template tmpl);
+/*!
+  * \brief Enroll a br::Template from the C API!
+  */
+BR_EXPORT void br_enroll_template(br_template tmpl);
+
 /*! @}*/
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/openbr/openbr_plugin.h b/openbr/openbr_plugin.h
index eb563c9..3ad907c 100644
--- a/openbr/openbr_plugin.h
+++ b/openbr/openbr_plugin.h
@@ -1317,6 +1317,11 @@ BR_EXPORT void Train(const File &input, const File &model);
  * \see br_enroll
  */
 BR_EXPORT FileList Enroll(const File &input, const File &gallery = File());
+/*!
+ * \brief High-level function for enrolling templates.
+ * \see br_enroll
+ */
+BR_EXPORT void Enroll(Template &tmpl);
 
 /*!
  * \brief High-level function for comparing galleries.