insert images to a plot

%# create fan-shaped coordinates
[R,PHI] = meshgrid(linspace(1,2,5), linspace(0,pi/2,10));
X = R.*cos(PHI); Y = R.*sin(PHI);
X = X(:); Y = Y(:);
num = numel(X);

%# images at each point (they don't have to be the same)
img = imread('coins.png');
img = repmat({img}, [num 1]);

%# plot scatter of images
SCALE = 0.2;             %# image size along the biggest dimension
figure
for i=1:num
    %# compute XData/YData vectors of each image
    [h w] = size(img{i});
    if h>w
        scaleY = SCALE;
        scaleX = SCALE * w/h;
    else
        scaleX = SCALE; 
        scaleY = SCALE * h/w;
    end
    xx = linspace(-scaleX/2, scaleX/2, h) + X(i);
    yy = linspace(-scaleY/2, scaleY/2, w) + Y(i);

    %# note: we are using the low-level syntax of the function
    image('XData',xx, 'YData',yy, 'CData',img{i}, 'CDataMapping','scaled')
end
axis image, axis ij
colormap gray, colorbar
set(gca, 'CLimMode','auto')