Standing right next to a big building one night, I looked at the windows next to me to see if the lights were on. I couldn't tell, however, how many other windows had lights shining from them. They were at an angle from which I couldn't see; I was too close to the building.
From the middle of the park across the street, I could see all the windows, and the light coming from each of them. Distance helped me see what was really going on, when I was otherwise too close to tell.
