Silverman Studio captures commercial photo business

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Jul 15, 2005 by Dickinson, Casey J

SYRACUSE - Hal Silverman Studio captures commercial images for clients from across the nation. Owner Hal Silverman has provided images for Panasonic, Stickley Furniture, Libbey, and many other household names. He opened his own studio in 1989 after working for others for seven years. Silverman studied commercial photography at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Within five years of opening, Silverman had been included in Communication Arts magazine's annual photographer listings.

"The magazine only accepts two percent of the listings submitted, so it was a real coup," says Silverman.

Silverman's 3,000 square-foot studio is located at 6511 Basile Row in the village of East Syracuse. The studio has high ceilings and open space that can hold different backgrounds and sets. He employs three full-time - Hal himself, Rick Needle and Francis "Frank" Schram - and two part-time commercial photographers. Silverman's staff handles about 28 different jobs each month, or more than 300 per year. "We shoot every day," he says.

Silverman retains a film-processing lab on the premises, but has used digital cameras for the past decade. The resolution of the professional camera models he and his staff use is far superior to the cameras sold in consumer-electronics shops. A top consumer model will capture images with eight "megapixels" of resolution. More common cameras offer fewer than six megapixels. One of Silverman's typical units captures 44 megapixels of clarity into a 256-megabyte file. The large files are stored and shipped on DVD discs or sent via computer uplink.

Larger images can be reproduced in large formats or can show greater detail in small sections, Silverman explains. He can print poster-sized color images on large-format photo printers in the studio. The studio is stocked with more than $250,000 worth of photographic equipment.

Silverman Studio has a kitchen area used for shooting pictures of food products. Capturing food images, Silverman explains, is one of the more difficult parts of commercial photography because of the perishable nature of the subject. A "food stylist" prepares each product for the shoot before Silverman captures the images.

Hal Silverman studio has provided images for numerous cookbooks, including those for television's "Mr. Food."

Photography of liquid products is a particular specialty of Silverman. The lobby of the studio is lined with framed images capturing liquids in motion. The shots show droplets of water and other liquids captured in mid-splash. Silverman uses strobe lights and high-speed digital cameras to catch the droplets in his photographs.

"Most people can't believe that these are real photographs and not just created with a computer," says Silverman.

Silverman's Web site (www.silvermanstudio.com) is an integral part of his business strategy. The site, says Silverman, has helped new businesses to find him. He's won dozens of jobs as a direct result of the site, including new clients from across the country.

The Internet and the advance of digital technology have changed the way commercial photographers conduct business. Today, Silverman may transact business without ever meeting his client. After a client engages Hal Silverman Studio, the product to be photographed will arrive via overnight delivery service. Silverman's staff will create the images to order and place them in secure "client rooms" on his Web site for inspection.

The client, Silverman explains, can download the digital files from his Web site anywhere in the world and make payment electronically as well. Approximately 80 percent of Silverman's work comes from outside Central New York. He travels regularly to photograph outside the studio and can shoot underwater as well.

In addition to new work, clients contact Silverman for stock images from his archives. He has retained every image since the studio opened.