re: writing.

On another tack: a wide angle lens can overly dramatize a photograph. Sometimes the effect is desirable; often it is distracting. In the second version of the shot, I backed up and zoomed in a little resulting in a more classical composition — straighter lines on the extreme edges of the frame. Which shot is better?

In this case, the distorting effect of the wide angle improves the image — a writer hunched over his machine — because his bookshelf appears to curve towards him. The weight of words on the subject appears to be more evident. Such are the many invisible choices available at any time to the person behind the camera. Hopefully that person chooses correctly when it matters.