Peepshow

I tried my new clip on fisheye lens on the iPhone today. This is an image of the placemats on the table.

Apparently this type of lens first came into use nearly a hundred years ago to study cloud formation. The term for the lens wasn't coined until later and reflects the similarity to the way fish see the underworld in a spherical way.

The lenses are used commonly in science to study meteors or plant canopies. Another more popular use of the fisheye lens is in the peepholes of doors and provides a wide view (100-180 degrees) of what lies behind and who awaits on the other side.