Saturday Night Live fans, get ready to add another must-have book to your collection—Mary Ellen Matthews’ The Art of the SNL Portrait hits stores March 4, 2025.
Matthews—who’s been SNL’s resident photographer since 1999—is known for producing the show’s iconic “bumper” photos, aka those eccentric portraits of hosts and musical guests that appear before and after commercial breaks.
The Art of the SNL Portrait (published by Abrams), will be the first-ever printed collection of Matthews’ bumper photos. It’s set to feature more than 200 color portraits and behind-the-scenes photos, including Andy Samberg in a giant martini glass, Billie Eilish peeking out of a pile of snow, Kevin Hart writing his own cue cards, Paul Rudd as Paul McCartney, Sarah Silverman dusting the NBC marquee, Alec Baldwin as the Godfather, and many more.
Co-written by Matthews and Alison Castle (who was the editor of Saturday Night Live: The Book) and designed by Emily Oberman, the book will arrive two weeks after the NBC show’s three-hour 50th anniversary special. Fittingly, it will also include a forward by SNL boss Lorne Michaels.
“Shooting for SNL is the most fun job in the world,” Matthews says in a statement. “ It’s so exciting for me to see my work coming together in print after existing on screen for all these years. This book is an homage [to] the incredible hosts and musical guests as well as the whole team I have the honor of working with at the show.”
In an interview with People, Matthews said, “I’m so excited to share these images to the world because the talent gives so much during the shoots right in the middle of a chaotic week. They only live on the air for a very short amount of time during their individual shows.”
“This is the first time you’re able to see them all in one place,” she added. “What an honor to capture moments within their time with us.”
The Art of the SNL Portrait is available for pre-order now.
