Should I buy a Nikon D5100 or D800?

The distortion is a result of the lens and how close it was to your face. The type of camera is not a factor at all. The shorter the focal length of the lens, the more distortion you'll get.

The distortion is made worse the closer the lens is to the subject.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.