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When cinematographer Elisa Iannacone took on the visual storytelling for Reframe Rotherham – a powerful exhibition blending documentary realism with magical fantasy – one of her most vital tools was a set of Cooke SP3 lenses. These lenses helped channel the emotional essence of the project, offering warmth, intimacy, and cinematic depth to a series that asked young people to reimagine the future of their city.
Reframe Rotherham, created in collaboration with children and headed by Grimm & Co for the Festival of Stories, sought to turn local youth into visionaries. Their dreams, frustrations, and hopes for Rotherham were translated into bold, metaphor-rich visual narratives, each crafted with the sincerity of lived experience and the flourish of magical realism.
The cinematographer, with a background in both fiction and conflict-zone documentaries, saw this project as an opportunity to blend the emotional truth of documentary with an immersive fantasy aesthetic.
For Reframe Rotherham, Iannacone worked alongside Director Deborah Bullivant, founder of Grimm & Co. The two shared a powerful bond as trauma survivors, which deeply informed their creative synergy. “Working with Deborah was incredibly collaborative and deeply respectful,” said Iannacone. “From the start, she showed a genuine belief in my vision and trusted me to bring the work to life, while staying fully engaged and completely devoted to the cause.”
Iannacone chose Cooke SP3 lenses to pair with her Canon R5C hybrid camera. Having used Cooke before, she has long been a fan of Cooke’s uniqueness.
“Cooke lenses deliver a beautifully organic, cinematic feel…their rich, warm tones and smooth bokeh create a sense of intimacy and depth that’s great for emotional storytelling.”
Iannacone fell in love with the SP3s while testing wide-angle focal lengths. The lack of distortion and inherent “wow factor” made them an ideal choice – not just for cinematography, but for large-format photography as well. “I thought Reframe Rotherham was the right moment to bring in the SP3s. I wanted cinematic, magical quality and warmth while also ensuring the output would work for massive print formats.”
Each lens choice was purposeful. The 18mm and 25mm lenses served as primary portrait tools, selected for how they could draw viewers into a subject’s world without compromising the surrounding environment. “The 18mm let me stay close to the children, which helped build trust. It also allowed their imagined, magical surroundings to be part of the frame.”
As the shoot evolved, she gravitated toward the 25mm and 32mm lenses for wider portraits and leaned into the 50mm for intimate, cinematic close-ups, especially effective in low-light conditions, where Cooke’s performance remained consistent.
“The lenses helped maintain beautiful colour and contrast, even in unpredictable lighting – harsh sunlight, fast-moving clouds, and indoor shoots in dim heritage sites.”
One standout moment came deep in a forest, under harsh, dappled sunlight. A child stood wearing a whimsical bird mask, surrounded by verdant foliage. “The Cooke lens softened the light just enough to keep skin tones flattering and details intact. It was a surreal yet grounded image – and it wouldn’t have worked without the Cooke glass.”
Pairing the Cooke SP3s with a Canon R5C hybrid camera brought additional advantages: full-frame clarity, RAW shooting capability, and the ability to sync with Profoto strobes in off-grid locations. Working in a challenging heritage-site environment with intense natural light, it was crucial that the lenses were able to adapt smoothly.
“The SP3s performed exceptionally across all conditions – daylight, low light, studio setups. That gave me the confidence to push creative boundaries.”
Despite using cinema lenses for a primarily photographic purpose, Iannacone adapted the SP3s seamlessly, using the RF mount compatibility to produce an exceptional image that did justice to the project.
