B&h Photography Podcast

“Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night!” That single sentence has become a catchphrase for devotees of comedy and popular culture over the past 50 years—generations of fans who willingly turn their attentions from the height of weekend revelry to the televised antics of Saturday Night Live. Week in, week out for more than two decades, a single photographer has conjured visual magic behind the scenes, creating inventive and irreverent portraits that air for three seconds each as so-called “bumpers” that transition to and from the show’s commercial breaks. In this week’s podcast, SNL’s photographer in residence Mary Ellen Matthews regales us with details about what’s undoubtedly the world’s best photo gig—a position she’s held for 25 years. From the fateful phone call she got in 1993, inviting her to assist the show’s founding photographer, Mary Ellen offers candid insights into her journey from mentee to team leader. Along the way, we pull back the curtain on the creation of some iconic images and learn what