Story (check the interview):

James Dimmock suggested the idea of shooting the band at a morgue to align with the somber mood of their music at the time. Radiohead, often wary of conventional photoshoot ideas, did not like that idea and rejected it. Instead, Tom and Stanley altered studio portraits, heavily manipulated digitally (providing a smoothed skin, recoloured irises, giving symmetry to the faces, and also mirrored Thoms good eye).

It was a kind of attempt to take back control of his well-worn media-face. They sent images to Q (if they dare to print them) and gave an exclusive interview in return.

Q editor Andrew Harrison described the images as "aggressively weird to the point of taking the piss ... all five of Radiohead had been given the aspect of gawking aliens". Q projected the images onto the Houses of Parliament, placed on posters and billboards in the London Underground and on the Old Street Roundabout, and had them printed on key rings, mugs and mouse mats, to "turn Radiohead back into a product".