When capturing an image, get in close to the subject so they fill your viewfinder.
If there is one technique most digital camera users can use today to instantly improve their photos it is to stand at least two or three steps closer to their subject.
Most photographers stand too far away from their subjects so the subject ends up being very small relative to the rest of the photo.
When you move closer to your subject you make them larger in the viewfinder so they fill the photograph.
The result is not only a much more interesting photo but, because the subject fills the screen, there is less distracting background detail. If you can’t get physically closer to your subject use the zoom on your camera to zoom in closer.
It shouldn't be the cause now days, for standing too far away, but box Brownies were the root cause of that eons ago. The tiny little viewfinder on the top/side of the box tended to force the user away from the subject. The resulting print showed the diminutive subject surrounded by whatever was in the foreground and background, and in most cases, barely unrecognizable :-). When people who had been box Brownie users gravitated to say a 35 mm, they still tended to stand too far away, because that's the way they always took pictures. But with screens on the back of "point and shoot" (today's box Brownies)digital caneras, I can not figure out "why" it happens now. Flickr bears testament that it is a common occurrence. Let's hope readers who have this habit heed your good advice.
Good points Helen. A couple of other things to also consider:
1. Many point and shoot cameras' viewfinders and view screens underestimate the amount that the lens actually sees. Typically the picture will end up with 5% to 15% more picture than what you had seen when taking the shot. This was a very misunderstood fact with film cameras and to some extent still exists with digital cameras.
2. If your camera only takes 3×4 (think of your traditional square'ish older TV) vs 4×6 (think of the newer wide-screen TVs) pictures, be careful of how much you fill up the picture if you intend on printing it out. Often, you will fill in the 3×4 picture and when you print it out at a nearby pharmacy or submit online for printing, you will lose a quarter inch on each long edge of the print due to the typical 4×6 printouts.
On the other hand, watch out for the distortion caused by the change in perspective from moving closer. While this can make your photos more interesting, sometimes in order to get the perspective you're going for, standing back and using a zoom lens and/or cropping is your only option.
Generally is a good idea but:
1) When you fill a photo with your subject you must let enough room so that it won't be choked in the 4 corners of the photograph.
2) Secondly it is not so wise to use your wide end of your lens to get a closer portrait, the wide end always tend to distort the faces from short distance. (The compact cameras tend to be on the wide end by default when powered on)
My advice is to use a 50mm and above(better 100mm)and then try to fill the photo with your subject. If possible use the maximum aperture (smallest f number )