Dominant Foreground, Contributing Background

With its macro capability yet panoramic and sweeping perspective, the wide angle lens(in this case, the 20mm, my personal favorite)is the perfect choice for utilizing the compositional technique of dominant foreground, contributing background.

The essence of this device can be summarized in two words: content and context. The main subject, or content, must dominate the image(notably the foreground)with the background contributing a contextual, complimentary, or supporting element to the photograph.

While working on my essay of 100 black and white photographs capsulizing a season of Oregon fly fishing, I needed a picture depicting the first full box of flies I ever tied and a suitable environment that provided it with a contextual meaning--I discovered the perfect balance on the banks of Fall River near Bend, OR. Considering the inherent depth of field it offered, a wide angle lens presented the best of both worlds for this shot. This is not to say that a telephoto lens can't be used to employ this technique(with the correct application they can be quite effective), however I believe a wide/medium wide angle lens was created specifically to facilitate this type of photography.

If your creative intent is to accentuate or isolate a singular subject in an explanatory framework, then this is the method you should rely on.