André Kertész, Underwater Swimming, August 31, 1917
David Seidner, Rosima, ca. 1985
Weegee, [Woman (distortion)], ca. 1946-48/ca. 1955
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of distortion is as follows:
distortion (noun)
1: the act of distorting
2: the quality or state of being distorted : a product of distorting: as
a: a lack of proportionality in an image resulting from defects in the optical system
b: falsified reproduction of an audio or visual signal caused by change in the wave form of the original signal
As one can see, the definition of the word is almost entirely negative and the connotation of the word brings to mind changed (for the worst) or corrupted. But in the world of photography, distortion can produce a beauty all its own.
Fans in a Flashbulb 