A wide angle lens has two valuable functions: it places the person firmly in their surroundings, and it draws the viewer into the scene, I've noticed with extremely wide angles of landscapes that really do appear to draw the viewer in as is the edges of the frame are sliding into the scene. The focal length chosen for any particular shot makes a substantial difference, not only to the character of the image but also to how to prepare for it. Changing to the wide-angle or standard or telephoto is a framing convenience: from whatever distance you happen to be standing, changing the focal length either expands the view or drops in on it. Zooms have a clear advantage that the allow you to react more quickly than by stepping back or forward.
In a situation in which there are people moving around with a wide-angle lens you will be taking in much of the immediate surroundings, as in order to partly fill the frame with a figure, you will typically be shooting from a few or several feet away. This makes you fairly obvious to passers by, and one problem is having someone who is not your subject in frame and standing at the camera. The way to avoid this is to raise the camera only immediately before you shoot, then lower it.
Wide angle photography projects the viewer into the scene, the photographer is clearly in the middle of things, a style sometimes known as 'subjective camera', that conveys a sense of being there and of activity.
A wide angle lens makes it possible to compose the view in such a way that the person you want to photograph is off-centered, it will appear to them as if you are aiming the camera to one side, not directly at them.
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