The ‘SNL’ photographer reveals secrets to shoot Justin Bieber, Tina Fey

Mary Ellen Matthew’s work is as fun as it seems.

For him Past 25 yearsThe 59 -year -old photographer has always filmed iconic portraits, often capricious stars to serve as “bumpers”, images that appear on the screen before a commercial break, for “Saturday Night Live”.

“The bumpers are probably the least appreciated part of the program, but anyone who knows the program knows how much they mean,” Hancho Chief of the program, Lorne Michaels, writes in the prologue of the new Matthew book, “SNL portrait art” (Harry N. Abrams, now).

The book follows the steps of the SNL 50th anniversary and presents dozens of the almost 4,000 portraits that Matthews has created from the hosts and musical guests of the program over the years.

It is “the best work in the world and, certainly, the only one like this”, Matthews, who uses real -life accessories and digital editing to create portraits, writes in the introduction of the book.

There is rarely a boring moment in your workday. While many of the images are surrounded in the study, Matthews loves to leave and incorporate elements of the city. She remembers with love to capture Jim Carrey, welcoming a taxi with a flame called Pierre in the torrential rain and breaking Jason Momoa with a guitar on the edge of the upper part of the rock.

“His security and our security were as terrified,” he said.

Here, she shares six other images, and the stories behind them, with the publication.

Tina Fey

When the former cast member, who has It has been rumored As a main contender to replace Michaels when she retires, housed in 2018, Matthews wanted to create an image from a high -eye fashion magazine from the 1940s or 50. She thought it would be “sweet” to have Fey holding a bird but wanted something more “ridiculous” than a small blue bird or peaceful dove. “I thought … How can we push that to a more playful place? And then I thought it is a great bird. And then, what is the most ridiculous bird that could sustain? A vulture? “Then, a file of the scavenger was digitally added to the shot.” It’s fun to keep twisting things, “Matthews said.

Alec Baldwin

Baldwin has Organized the program 17 times, more than anyone. When he made the honors in 2009, he had the idea of ​​a recreation of the “godfather” and Matthews was more than happy to make it come true, with his own turn. Instead of using a real cat, as in the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola Classic, he opted for a clearly false stuffed kitten. “I don’t like doing these recreations too close to the original,” he writes. “It has to have something that is off or not quite well.”

Billie Eilish

When the Grammy and the Oscar winner Made in the program In December 2023, it was just before Christmas, a festive Matthews said Eilish loves. “SP, I got all this false snow and I thought, maybe, let’s make a snow angel,” Matthews recalled. “And then I said: ‘We are going to bury you’, and she had this bright and illuminated smile and those beautiful eyes. I love “.

Melissa McCarthy

Matthews had the idea of ​​recreating the iconic photographer of photographer Diane Arbus, the taking of “identical twins, Roselle, NJ, 1967” and McCarthy, who was host in 2017, was the perfect creative partner. “She could emotion those two twins in a comic way … she is alone An absolute genius“Matthews said, adding that the hair and the closet” nailed him. “

Justin Bieber

The pop star acted on the program in 2020, and Matthews was inspired by a cloud printed suit that the costume stylist had for him. “I thought, I have to tie this as a background or make it float,” he said. For filming, Bieber bounced in a mini trampoline and the cloudy background was added digitally.

Travis Kelce

Matthews was thinking of Jim Morrison when he came up with this concept for the winner of the Super Bowl and the Multihiphenate, who was the host in 2023. ” “Very Bs”.