Twenty-One Millimeters. Okay. Now I get it.

erstwhile photographer tormenting the mirrored doors at Crew Café.

I must be a slow learner. I spent a career as a commercial photographer trying to avoid using any lenses shorter than 35mm. I felt like it was almost impossible to control the composition of very wide angle lenses and I always struggled with the idea that I'd end up, always, with too much foreground and a tiny background. But I made one more effort before giving up. 

I bought a Thypoch 21mm f3.5 lens, coupled with it with a Leica optical finder that gives me settings of 28, 24 and 21mms and started trying to incorporate the lens into more and more of my shoots, my walks and my vacation time. Three of the images here were shot with the 21mm lens, which came with an M mount, adapted to a Leica mirrorless body. Finally! It worked great for me. 

There are times when overwhelming context is called for. Times when you can't back up just that little bit more that you need to. But it's a focal length that rewards a photographer for being careful. To take their time finding a composition that works with the wide view. A situation in which you can make the foreground a real part of the picture instead of just a bunch of dead space at the bottom of the frame. 

I'd love to have a coffee house here in Texas with ceilings like this.... (Crew Café, Montreal). 

Someone's garage, just of Mont Royale. Montreal.

these are the day lilies in my backyard. They can be glorious. 

I got in as close as I could with the 21mm lens mounted on a rangefinder camera and 

shots some frames this morning. Just before swim practice. 

I really like them. 

Now... go wider? I'm too apprehensive right now.

Give me time.