Meet the SNL Photographer Whose Incredible Images Appear For Just Three Seconds

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Meet the SNL Photographer Whose Incredible Images Appear For Just Three Seconds

Andy Samberg. | Mary Ellen Matthews

Mary Ellen Matthews has been capturing Saturday Night Live (SNL) “bumpers” since the year 2000. All-in-all, roughly 4,000 of her photos have appeared on-screen — albeit for just a few seconds.

Matthews was going to call her new book “All This for Three Seconds” which would have been an apt title since a closer look at her photos reveal complex work that requires much planning and a whole lot of photography skill.

A person wearing a shiny black leather outfit and gloves poses against a light background. They are adjusting their dark sunglasses with one hand and have tattoos visible on their wrists. — Zoe Kravitz

A man in a suit sits on a tilted chair, leaning back with his feet on a wooden block. He's holding a plate of spaghetti and appears relaxed. The setting resembles a behind-the-scenes setup with a ladder, lights, and scattered papers. — Pete Davidson

Instead, Matthews called her book The Art of the SNL Portrait and it is a collection of SNL bumpers. TV bumpers are transitions between segments and commercials that were brought in in the mid-20th century to signal commercial breaks, program transitions, or station identification. On SNL, the bumpers typically feature the episode’s host and musical guest in visually striking, well-lit portraits, often with a unique or themed aesthetic

A person with short blonde hair and red lipstick wearing a light blue dress and a decorative black hat smiles while holding a drink. They are seated on a brown leather sofa against a teal background. — Scarlett Johansson

A woman in a black dress and large striped hat smiles while holding a vulture on her hand. The words "Saturday Night Live" are written in bold purple letters to the right. The background is white. — Tina Fey

“By the late 1970s and early 1980s, most TV shows had stopped using bumpers, with the exception of some live and children’s programming,” Matthews explains in her book. “Most of these, too, eventually dropped the bumper, with one very notable exception: the SNL bumper, which was and still is an integral part of the show’s identity.”

A man in a colorful jacket and beanie holds a football. He is biting a flaming cigar and looking up. The words "Saturday Night Live" are displayed in large yellow letters around him. The background is black. — Travis Kelce

Six adults dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz: Glinda, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Dorothy, Wizard, and Scarecrow. They stand in a row smiling, with colorful costumes and props against a plain background. — Foo Fighters

Regular NBC viewers will recognize Matthews’ often-conceptual photography. The front cover of the book hilariously features SNL icon Andy Samberg as an olive in a martini glass.

Actress Scarlett Johansson, who has been photographed six times by Matthews for her recurring role hosting SNL, tells The New York Times that Matthews’ “whimsy is infectious.”

“I think that’s why she’s so successful at her job, and getting the best out of some of the most famous people in the world,” Johansson tells the newspaper. “There’s so many different types of personalities that she’s photographed, and she’s always able to coax the playful side out of them.”

A person with platinum blonde hair poses elegantly, lying on a red, flowing, ruffled dress. They have one arm above their forehead, gazing upward with a joyful expression. The background is a plain, dark color. — Anya Taylor-Joy

A person with dark hair and a mustache stands next to a fluffy brown and white dog, both with one hand/hoof raised. They are behind a wet glass pane. "SNL" is written in the top right corner. — Ramy Youssef

A black and white image of a man wearing a large cowboy hat and a suit with floral embroidery. He is sitting in front of a vintage microphone with the letters "SNL." The background is plain. — Blake Shelton

Matthews’ workweek typically runs from Thursday to Saturday, and she often doesn’t learn who the host is until the last minute, forcing her to brainstorm photo shoot concepts on the fly. As a result, some bumpers air before they’re fully finished, leaving Matthews wishing for just a little more time.

“You want a range [of photos] in the show,” Matthews says in her book. “You want a quiet moment. I love to have a quiet portrait, maybe it’s a profile, maybe it’s a silhouette, but something a little more introspective, and a range of ideas. There’s concepts, there’s letting them be themselves, and then a quiet moment, like a mixture of all of that.”

A person with long hair smiles while seated, wearing a hat and a light brown coat. The background is softly lit with studio equipment visible. — Mary Ellen Matthews. | Oz Rodriguez

A playful image of a person inside a large green olive with a red pimento, set in a martini glass. They wear a red beret, and their legs stick out of the olive. Bold yellow text reads "The Art of the SNL Portrait" by Mary Ellen Matthews.