Choosing the distance to stand from your subject is one of the first things to do before you take any picture. But it's not something you do once and then forget about. As you take pictures, constantly examine your distance from the subject and move closer or farther away if adjusting your position will improve the composition. Here's how to choose a subject distance:

• To convey a feeling of space and depth, move back a bit or use a wide-angle lens. Standing back from your subject does several things. The foreground area becomes more prominent, adding to the feeling of space. You'll also take in more of the sky and other surrounding area, giving additional depth.
• Make sure that your subjects don't appear too small when you're moving back; they should still be large enough to be interesting. Moving too far back is the most common mistake amateur photographers make. If you're showing wide-open spaces in your picture, be certain that it's because you want to.
• For photos that emphasize a person, group of people, or a particular object, move in as close as you can. A close-up viewpoint adds intimacy and shows details and textures of a subject that can't be seen at greater distances. A short telephoto setting is often the best route to getting closer; with a normal or wide-angle lens, you may get some apparent distortion of objects that are very close.
• Move so you fill the frame completely with interesting things. Whether you're shooting close up to your subject or at a distance, your composition should not include anything that isn't needed to make the picture. Full frames mean less enlargement and sharper pictures, too.