Last Week In Photography - Under Stay At Home Order

The state of world health has come to us here in Michigan with a Stay At Home order effective as of 12:00 AM today.

I had been busy photographing portraits, head shots and families in my studio. That came to a halt a week ago when I decided it was safer for all concerned to no longer have people in and shut down all upcoming sessions.

The real estate market, even during the ramp up to the order, was booming and I was photographing one to two listings daily seven days a week since the beginning of the month.

I had been wearing gloves, only doing listing shoots where the occupants were not there and liberally using disinfectant on my hands and cameras.

Yesterday, with the announcement from the governor’s office that, too came to an abrupt halt as my realtor clients shut their offices when all transactions were noted as non essential per the order.. this is still being sorted out but the photo portion hit the brakes.. hard.

None of us know where this will end as we are at the beginning of the process.

I wish all of you well and am thankful I will be OK as I have food and a roof over my head, more than others sadly.

The photos in the composites below are from the studio and I thank the people who shared their time with me to produce these.. more to come in the next few posts.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergMarch 24, 2020Comment

Last Week In Photography - Diversity

The current popular definition of diversity means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

As an ex New York City guy (if there’s such a thing as “ex” when the city’s in your blood) I miss walking the streets of Manhattan immersed in the sea of different faces, languages, food smells coming from street carts and colors of clothing.

I know this is Last Week In Photography but this larger than the normal content of my blog collection is from the past few years I’ve been in business here in Ypsilanti. I’ve been honored to have a little bit of NYC here in my studio.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergJanuary 27, 2020Comment

Last Week In Photography - Pianos As Props

I have a good sized collection of photographs stored for use in these blog posts and while going through them spotted a group captured at different times and locations with a common theme, all used a piano as a prop or defining setting.

Here are some of them for your review….. and, for you musicians out there, you’ll be glad to know all these were done to the tune of the piano being actually played during the sessions.

Clicking on the header and the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergJanuary 19, 2020Comment

Last Week In Photography - Headshots, A Sister-Brother Real Estate Team And A New Master's Degree

Clients have been preparing for the new year!

I’ve been photographing head shots for business and social media usage, a sister and brother real estate team and a young woman who came back into the studio after a previous session to celebrate a shiny new Master’s degree.

My schedule slowed over the holidays giving me time to make some lighting changes and update my website. Now my dater is filling and I’ll keep sharing here on the blog page.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergJanuary 12, 2020Comment

Last Week In Photography - It's All About Family

In this holiday season the one constant is family.

For many of us it’s the family we’re born into. For others it’s the family we make… or happily find by accident. Unfortunately there are others without any of these and at this time of year end celebration and reflection it seems the best time for those of us lucky and blessed with family and friends to reach out and share the joy.

Here are some photographs of families who visited my studio and I visited this year.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Happy Holidays to all. Thank you for your support.

Stephen SilverbergDecember 24, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Back In The Studio

Last week I posted a group of outdoor photos knowing the season for warm, sunny and green on-location sessions had come to a close. Barring a few brave souls wanting to shoot in the snow it’s back to the studio.

Here is a collection of some senior / headshot / portrait photo sessions taken inside.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size and width.

Stephen SilverbergDecember 15, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Goodbye Warm Weather

Since spring of this year I’ve been photographing people in a variety of locations in the local area. Parks, back yards, city streets and university campus settings are outdoor studios and it’s been a while since I shared the results.

As the colder weather moves us to indoor studio sessions I want to share these spring/summer/fall days in the sun.

There are a lot of photos here.. It’s been a great year!

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergDecember 5, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Headshots And More Headshots

It’s been a while since my last blog post and I’ve accumulated quite a varied selection of session photographs.

I’m starting here with some studio headshots and over the next few weeks I’ll play catch up and share some of the summer’s results.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size

Stephen SilverbergNovember 15, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Sunset In Saugatuck VI

If you follow my blog you know I make an annual pilgrimage to Oval Beach in Saugatuck to visit my wife whose ashes are spread on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan facing west into the setting sun.

September 13th is our anniversary.. we were together 31 years, 27 of them married.

Apparently she’s not alone as I met a few people this and last year whose spouse’s ashes are also spread in the same area. Knowing Maureen there are wonderful dinner parties being hosted when we’re not around.

Here are some composites of photos I took this year.

Clicking on them will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergSeptember 15, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Head Shots, Senior And Modeling Sessions Plus Interiors

Another busy week. I photographed a very sharp young woman for her school photos, did a couple of head shot sessions and put together a shoot and photos for one of my favorite models who’s getting older by the minute (aren’t we all… it just looks good on her as a kid) for her modeling agency visit in Chicago. Plus more interiors.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size

Stephen SilverbergJuly 7, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Head Shots and Homes

It’s been a while since I posted so maybe the title should start with Last Weeks as I’ve been working 6 and 7 days weekly for a while.

My studio has been visited by some great people and the real estate listing end has had me on the road as well. I’ve been accumulating photos for the blog so here are a few from a few weeks ago with more to come soon.

Clicking on the composites will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergJune 29, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - It Really Is a Miracle 2.0

At 6:34PM on March 26th, 2016 I was honored to photograph the birth of this couple’s first child, a son. This time, at 11:57AM on April 5th of this year I was honored to be at the birth of their daughter.

The labor went quickly, the recovery not so much.

So on this day, Mother’s day 2019, I’m posting some photos to honor the event that starts the journey.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them:

Stephen SilverbergMay 12, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Headshots and Senior Photos

Business has been very strong early this year. Lots of real estate listings and proposals flying out the e-mail door. Bodes well for another productive year (I doubled my business in 2018..thank you all).

Also, these two great people came in the studio for a headshot session and some senior photos.

Here are some samples. Clicking on the composites will enlarge then to full size.

Stephen SilverbergMarch 30, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Solving the Winter Blahs

March is an interesting month. Basketball fever and Saint Patrick’s Day balanced by the ritual of losing an hour in the resetting our clocks ritual during the last of cold, uninviting weather.

I’ve been blessed this past week by an early and active real estate market with requests for listing photographs and at this point one request for a head shot session.

The session is pictured here. I met this woman’s husband during a commercial shoot highlighting a group of assisted living facilities he owns and to which he devotes his time and caring attention.

Here is a composite.. standard head shot format, differing backgrounds.

Clicking on the composite will enlarge it full size.

Stephen SilverbergMarch 10, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - A New Year... Off and Running!

Last year was outstanding. My business increased dramatically as did the time allotted to making it all happen.

There’s a lot you’re not seeing here; real estate listings and a fair amount of commercial work and headshots for which I don’t have releases.

I’ve accumulated a collection of head shots, portraits, senior and family sessions some of which are below.

Thanks to those who supported me last year as well as new people who’ve just found me and allowed me to be involved in their lives.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergFebruary 25, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Portraits And More Puppies

A new year is starting and right out of the gate the puppies were back in the studio. This is part of an ongoing project for greeting cards, calendar and a book all centered around a series of seasonal and non seasonal puppy sessions.

Ten puppies and a number of puddles later we were done for this go around.

Along with the pups I photographed the brother and sister who are part of the family involved in the project.

Clicking on the composites will enlarge them full size and width.

Stephen SilverbergJanuary 9, 2019Comment

Last Week In Photography - Head Shots, Portraits, Brothers and More Headshots

The last week of the year was filled with head shots and portraits. Two brothers came into the studio for end of the year photos as well as a head shot session. Also, a friend and fellow photographer traded studio time for her photos in trade for some of me.

It was fun and a humbling experience to be in front of the camera instead of behind.. As an official older guy let’s just say I appreciate Photoshop!

Here are some samples. Clicking on the composites will enlarge them full size and width.

Stephen SilverbergDecember 29, 2018Comment

Last Week In Photography - Family Session And Corporate Assignments

Last week was a busy one with road trips to Temperance, Durand and Kalamazoo to photograph the staff and residents of three retirement communities. Inserted into that schedule was a day documenting a local academy’s students and programs.

None of which I can show here!

I know.. I’d love to share as the people were wonderful but without releases I’m just putting it out there as shameless self promotion.

What I CAN show you are images from a family session with the typical zoomie two year old and his parents, a great couple.

Clicking on the images will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergDecember 9, 2018Comment

Last Week In Photography - A Cold Day With Warm Hearts And A Family On Campus

It was a late afternoon on a cold and gray day but the weather was not going to stop this guy from asking the big question! We waited in hiding for best friends to bring the unsuspecting young woman to the location and the ambush was successful.

Also a few days later I met with this family, whom I had photographed before, on the University of Michigan campus. The Law Quad is a great location and so it turns out is the Ross School of Business.

Clicking on the composites below will enlarge them full size.

Stephen SilverbergNovember 25, 2018Comment

Last Week In Photography - The last Fall Color Session And More Studio Headshots

Fall color season has come and gone here in the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor area. Leaves are raked, collected or mown over and the trees are now bare until spring.

There was time just before the last of the color to photograph this family in a local park. The temperature was not too cold and the mood was good. Here are some of the photographs.

The colder weather is a trigger for more studio sessions and two great people needed head shots. Both sessions went well and I’ve included some composites showing the results.

Clicking on the composites will enlarge them full size:

Stephen SilverbergNovember 12, 2018Comment

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