‘SNL’ photographer reflects on iconic celebrity portraits

Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews says she has the best job in the world. And chances are, you’ve seen her work.

Matthews is Saturday Night Live‘s official photographer. She creates the portraits of the show’s hosts and musical guests that flash on the screen for a few seconds before the commercial breaks. These images are called bumpers, and the name has its roots in TV history, according to Matthews.

“The image bumps back into the show,” she said. “All the local markets across the country are airing their own commercials, so not all of them come back at the same time. They need a still image just to hold until the show starts.”

But those fleeting images have become representations of the show’s comedic style. And now, some of Matthews’s favorites are published in a book called, The Art of the SNL Portrait.

Matthews spoke about the photography book with All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro, and said the secret to getting a good image is “creating an environment that is comfortable … that is not taking itself too seriously.”

Matthews had to narrow down nearly 4,000 photographs for this book, which features just over 200 images. And she knew from the very beginning one photo that would make the cut: Andy Samberg, as an olive, in a martini glass with a pimento hat. It’s also the book cover.

“We all kind of probably want to slosh around a martini once in a while … And the pimento hat was the cherry on top, so to speak.”

The images range from the totally zany, like John Mulaney as the pilot of a paper airplane to portraits that feel moody and introspective, like the one of Emma Stone in old Hollywood style.

“She’s such an amazing, amazing subject. She emotes so much with her eyes and she just hits the pose and you just get so much from her … It’s nice to see these moments of sophistication along with the rubber chickens and the martinis, I think.”

Matthews said collaboration is also a key component of working with her celebrity subjects, from coming up with the concept of the image to choosing which songs to play during the photo shoot.

The end result, she said, is a different way to see these celebrities during the broadcast show.

“We get to see them act in all these amazing sketches, and we also get to slow down and see them for a still moment … finding out how they want to be seen or how I can bring out the best out of them.”

Some artists obsess over every detail in their work, but Matthews doesn’t have that luxury. Her images have that in common with the rest of Saturday Night Live. Her bumper photos don’t go out to the world because they’re ready, they go out because the close strikes 11:30 p.m. on Saturday — showtime.