I shot this with 21mm skopar and Portra 400VC, and converted to Black and White in Aperture.
I think the 21mm focal length works really well when
single point perspective is used, because then the distortion is kept at a minimal ,and the lines stay really clean.
I've been watching a lot of Stanley Kubrick films lately, and he uses quite a few single point perspective shots, and I think he does this so he can use extremely wide angle lenses (sometimes as wide as 18mm) without the obvious visual cues that wides give off--namely the overt perception of spacial distortion (straight lines appearing curved).
The trick, I think, is to keep the lens plane level with the viewing plane (don't tilt up or down), and and have the leading lines end at a single point in the distance (like railroad tracks).
Obviously this is only one way to use wide angles, but I'm trying to be more conscious of it because the effect plays with your sense of space and perspective.
In reference to my shot, the only things that give away the use of an extremely wide angle are the articles on the table in the lower left of the image (they are distorted). If they weren't there, then the perspective in the shot would look
odd, but it would be harder to pin down exactly why (with a cursory glance, or course).
Anyway, just something I've been thinking about recently.
Good thread. I like this focal length. I need to use it more.
