Dazed Digital, together with photographers Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader and stylist Jessica Bobince proudly presents The Modern Prometheus, an animated GIF shoot exclusive to Dazed. Using the Autumn Winter collection of menswear designer Petrou, the story ooze of the character and conceptual direction we have come to expect from the Central Saint Martins graduate. Here, the photography duo talk us through the images and what else we can expect from them in the future..

Dazed Digital: Describe your relationship!
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: We are a team in life and work. There has not been a time in the past 88 months where we have been apart for more than 72 hours.

DD: Pro and Cons with working as a photography team?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: You get to work and play with your best friend. When working in a team, you feed off each others creativity; ideas are challenged and enhanced by the other person. Two brains and two sets of hands and legs are better than one. A con is that the line between work and life becomes blurred and is practically impossible to separate.



DD: What was the inspiration for this shoot?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: The idea was to combine ideas of nervousness and twitches with the repetitive glitchiness of animated GIFs.

DD: Which is your fave shot and why?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: The photo-animation with the furry gorilla chest and checker printed pants doing the monster mash is our favorite because it makes us want to dance.

DD: What's your attraction to animated gif photo's?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: Technology has freed photography from the constraints of the still paper image with smart phones and portable computers. With paper usurped, why should images be still anymore? We use GIF animations because they are an easily sharable universal file format and for retro glitchy early internet nostalgia.

DD: There's bit of movement in much of your work - ever fancied working with film?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: Yes, we currently work in film and will continue to do so.

We recently finished a project called 'The Cat Lady' about a giant cat and another that is inspired by camgirls, called EmxxyCam. Traditional film does have limitations though. Film may not be restricted to a fixed state like photography but both are passive mediums where the audience merely witnesses something that is already produced. We believe that interactivity is the future and our interests lie with gaming and augmented reality.

DD: It's a quite dark mood - is that just the AW inspiration or a general take on the world we live in?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: Our 'world' is populated by quirky personalities that many people seem to find quite creepy. The fashion supplements the concept and character and helps bring them to life.

DD: What's next?
Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader: Koolaid
explosions, dub stepping dinosaurs, cat stomping, mannequin planting, umbrella girl, light sabers battles, titty rubbing, and cake. These are the projects on our to do list.



All clothes by Petrou Man A/W10
Photography Pamela Reed + Matthew Rader
Styling Jessica Bobince
Hair Linh Nguyen
Make up Chiho Omae
Model Patrick Phillips at RED
Photography Assistant Layla Wrencher
Stylist Assistants Jonathan Hamilt and Nick Collins