If you take a peek inside the bag of most photographers, you will likely find at least one wide-angle lens. Wide-angle lenses allow you to capture much more of the scene even if you stand close to your subject, giving the image more context and a sense of real proximity to the action or location.
Landscapes, astrophotography and architecture are three of the more obvious genres for which wide-angle lenses can be used, but they also come in handy for environmental portraits, macro (if the lens has a close focusing distance) and even close-range sports to name a few.
