- (CGImageRef)renderNSImageToCGImage:(NSImage *)image {
    if (!image) {
        return NULL;
    }

    NSSize imageSize = [image size];
    // Create a CGBitmapContext
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGContextRef bitmapContext = CGBitmapContextCreate(NULL, 
                                                       imageSize.width, 
                                                       imageSize.height, 
                                                       8, // bits per component
                                                       0, // bytes per row (0 lets the context calculate it)
                                                       colorSpace, 
                                                       kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipFirst);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);

    if (!bitmapContext) {
        return NULL;
    }

    // Create an NSGraphicsContext for the bitmap context
    NSGraphicsContext *nsGraphicsContext = [NSGraphicsContext graphicsContextWithCGContext:bitmapContext flipped:NO];
    
    // Save the current graphics context to restore it later
    NSGraphicsContext *previousContext = [NSGraphicsContext currentContext];
    [NSGraphicsContext setCurrentContext:nsGraphicsContext];

    // Draw the image into the context
    [image drawInRect:NSMakeRect(0, 0, imageSize.width, imageSize.height)
             fromRect:NSZeroRect
            operation:NSCompositingOperationSourceOver
             fraction:1.0];

    // Extract the CGImage from the bitmap context
    CGImageRef cgImage = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(bitmapContext);

    // Restore the previous graphics context
    [NSGraphicsContext setCurrentContext:previousContext];

    // Clean up the bitmap context
    CGContextRelease(bitmapContext);

    return cgImage; // The caller now owns this CGImageRef and is responsible for releasing it
}