diff --git a/LS_GUI.py b/LS_GUI.py
index 52a4972..af264d4 100644
--- a/LS_GUI.py
+++ b/LS_GUI.py
@@ -566,10 +566,28 @@ def stackFocusStack(self, folder):
 		for stackFolder in onlyFolders:
 
 			focusStackInstall = self.config.configValues["FocusStackInstall"]
-			
+			inputPath = ""
+			if(self.config.configValues["PruneBeforeStacking"]):
+				files = [f for f in os.listdir(folder + "/" + stackFolder) if isfile(join(folder + "/" + stackFolder, f))]
+				files.sort()
+				onlyJpegs = [jpg for jpg in files if jpg.lower().endswith(".jpg")]
+				if(len(onlyJpegs) < 1):
+					continue
+				# sort the files by filesize and remove the smallest 50% of them files
+				fileSizes = []
+				for file in onlyJpegs:
+					fileSizes.append(os.path.getsize(folder + "/" + stackFolder + "/" + file))
+				median = statistics.median(fileSizes)
+				for file in onlyJpegs:
+					if(os.path.getsize(folder + "/" + stackFolder + "/" + file) >= median):
+						inputPath = inputPath + ' "' + folder + "/" + stackFolder + "/" + file + '"'
+			else:
+				inputPath = '"' + folder + "/" + stackFolder + "/*jpg" + '"'
+
+
 			commandLine = self.config.configValues["FocusStackLaunchPath"] \
                             .replace('{{Install}}', focusStackInstall) \
-                            .replace('{{folderPath}}', folder + "/" + stackFolder) \
+                            .replace('{{folderPath}}', inputPath) \
                             .replace('{{outputPath}}', folder + "/" + stackFolder + ".jpg")
 			print(commandLine);
 			subprocess.call(commandLine, stdout=DEVNULL,
diff --git a/Preferences.py b/Preferences.py
index 05ddf06..0d4d304 100644
--- a/Preferences.py
+++ b/Preferences.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def CreateWindow(self, parent):
 		fgSizer1.Add( self.focuslabel, 0, wx.ALL, 5 )
 
 		self.focusLaunch = wx.TextCtrl( panel, wx.ID_ANY, wx.EmptyString, wx.DefaultPosition, wx.DefaultSize, 0 )
-		fgSizer1.Add( self.focusLaunch, 0, wx.ALL, 5 )
+		fgSizer1.Add( self.focusLaunch, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND, 5 )
 
 
 		fgSizer1.Add( ( 0, 0), 1, wx.EXPAND, 5 )
@@ -181,6 +181,13 @@ def CreateWindow(self, parent):
 
 		fgSizer1.Add( ( 0, 0), 1, wx.EXPAND, 5 )
 
+		fgSizer1.Add( ( 0, 0), 1, wx.EXPAND, 5 )
+
+		self.m_pruneBefore = wx.CheckBox( panel, wx.ID_ANY, u"Prune Before Stacking", wx.DefaultPosition, wx.DefaultSize, 0 )
+		fgSizer1.Add( self.m_pruneBefore, 0, wx.ALL, 5 )
+
+
+		fgSizer1.Add( ( 0, 0), 1, wx.EXPAND, 5 )
 
 		fgSizer1.Add( ( 0, 0), 1, wx.EXPAND, 5 )
 
@@ -225,6 +232,7 @@ def save(self, event=None):
 		self.config.configValues['FocusStackLaunchPath'] = self.focusLaunch.GetValue()
 		self.config.configValues['RightToLeft'] = self.rightToLeft.IsChecked()
 		self.config.configValues['StackerSelection'] = self.m_stackerSelection.GetString(self.m_stackerSelection.GetSelection())
+		self.config.configValues['PruneBeforeStacking'] = self.m_pruneBefore.IsChecked()
 		self.config.save_config()
 	
 	def reload(self, event=None):
@@ -243,6 +251,7 @@ def reload(self, event=None):
 		self.focusStack.SetValue(self.config.configValues["FocusStackInstall"])
 		self.focusLaunch.SetValue(self.config.configValues["FocusStackLaunchPath"])
 		self.rightToLeft.SetValue(self.config.configValues['RightToLeft'])
+		self.m_pruneBefore.SetValue(self.config.configValues['PruneBeforeStacking'])
 		self.m_stackerSelection.SetSelection(self.m_stackerSelection.FindString(self.config.configValues['StackerSelection']))
 
 
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 65b191f..5fba95c 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -62,9 +62,10 @@ def _load_from_file(self):
 		self.configValues["Overlap"] = self.Config.get("Processing", "Overlap", fallback="0.35")
 		self.configValues["FocusThreshold"] = self.Config.get("Processing", "FocusThreshold", fallback="13.0")
 		self.configValues["RightToLeft"] = True if self.Config.get("Processing", "RightToLeft", fallback="0") == "1" else False
+		self.configValues["PruneBeforeStacking"] = True if self.Config.get("Processing", "PruneBeforeStacking", fallback="0") == "1" else False
 		self.configValues["StackerSelection"] = self.Config.get("Processing", "StackerSelection", fallback="FocusStack")
 		self.configValues["FocusStackInstall"] = self.Config.get("FocusStack", "Install", fallback=str(homedir.absolute()))
-		self.configValues["FocusStackLaunchPath"] = self.Config.get("FocusStack", "LaunchPath", fallback='"{{Install}}" --consistency=0 --align-keep-size --no-whitebalance --no-contrast --jpgquality=100 --output="{{outputPath}}" "{{folderPath}}/"*jpg')
+		self.configValues["FocusStackLaunchPath"] = self.Config.get("FocusStack", "LaunchPath", fallback='"{{Install}}" --consistency=0 --align-keep-size --no-whitebalance --no-contrast --jpgquality=100 --output="{{outputPath}}" {{folderPath}}')
 			
 	def save_config(self):
 
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ def save_config(self):
 		self.Config.set("Processing", "VignetteMagic",self.configValues["VignetteMagic"])
 		self.Config.set("Processing", "Overlap",self.configValues["Overlap"])
 		self.Config.set("Processing", "RightToLeft","1" if self.configValues["RightToLeft"] else "0")
+		self.Config.set("Processing", "PruneBeforeStacking","1" if self.configValues["PruneBeforeStacking"] else "0")
 		self.Config.set("Processing", "StackerSelection",self.configValues["StackerSelection"])
 		self.Config.set("FocusStack", "Install",self.configValues["FocusStackInstall"])
 		self.Config.set("FocusStack", "LaunchPath",self.configValues["FocusStackLaunchPath"])
diff --git a/stitcher.py b/stitcher.py
index f61d34a..6cbc966 100755
--- a/stitcher.py
+++ b/stitcher.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 CONFIG={}
 CONFIG['max_features'] = 500
-CONFIG['scale_factor'] = 0.5
+CONFIG['scale_factor'] = 0.25
 CONFIG['flann_checks'] = 12
 
 class Stitcher:
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def removeVignette(self, img, vignetteMagicNumber):
         return np.rint(corrected).astype(np.uint8)
 
     def rotateAndCrop(self, image):
-        scale_percent = 5 # percent of original size
+        scale_percent = 2.5 # percent of original size
         width = int(image.shape[1] * scale_percent / 100)
         height = int(image.shape[0] * scale_percent / 100)
         dim = (width, height)