The problem with "expanding horizons" is that by putting more things on a single picture, each single thing is smaller and gets less attention. The only way these shots could work would be by printing them huge so you can really look and explore into the details as well as get the overall impact.

You could try using the lens for group shots in tight space, but better don't show the results to people on edges - they end up looking like having spent a no-limits vacation in an all-you-can-eat buffet.

So yes, ultra-wide angles are hard to use. The few ways I know:

Near-to-far composition

I think this is the way you mean by having "context and story". Ultra-wide angles exaggerate foreground, everything on the background (and even middle-ground) is made small. Therefore it is necessary to have

• an interesting foreground; in context of an ultra-wide angle lens, foreground is a lot closer than on photos made with normal lens. Think a couple of meters / 6 feet at tops, usually less.
• and an interesting background (since it still covers a lot of frame, and is quite sharp);
• ideally, there should be something interesting in the middle as well, for having eye something to stop on when travelling between fore- and background;
• all these different planes should make sense together.

Indeed, such scenes are hard to find, which makes ultra-wide not so easy to use. Your subject can be on any of the planes, but foreground and background must be worthy of taking a picture whether they contain the subject or not.

If your ultra-wide lens can tilt, you can use it to bring focus plane on the ground, covering from an inch to infinity.

Sky

Ultra-wide angles can be used to photograph sky over a small strip of landscape. Although common for sky pictures, avoid polarizer with ultra-wide - the effect will be uneven over the large variation in angle. For the picture to work, obviously there should be something interesting in the sky, like clouds or a fleet of alien aircrafts [example needed].

Removing depth relationships

Thom Hogan mentions this possibility in his "Lens Week Recap" - in some rare cases by standing further away with (ultra-)wide than you would with a normal lens, you remove depth relationships between objects. I haven't personally tried this approach, looks like I have a project for this weekend.

Perspective correction

An ultra-wide angle lens can be used as a poor-mans-replacement for shift lens. For example, shoot architecture in portrait orientation keeping camera level, crop the unnecessary ground part later (or not, if you happen to like it). Example:

In-doors architecture shots

An ultra-wide will come handy when you finally decide to trade your small flat for something where you could actually fit a studio. It exaggerates the size of rooms in photos, which makes them more appealing in a real estate advertisement.