Yes. Polished chrome/silver doesn’t have a fixed “color” the way black paint does—it behaves more like a mirror and shows whatever is reflected in it.

In a product shot, if the reflective hands and markers are facing dark surroundings, a black card, or simply areas with no bright light reflecting into the lens, they can photograph as very dark or black. In other lighting, the same parts may reflect a ceiling, window, or light source and look bright silver.

That’s why shiny metal can be difficult to photograph accurately. Small changes in lighting, camera angle, and what’s around the camera can completely change how polished parts appear. So the product image may not necessarily show black-painted markers; it may just be showing dark reflections on polished metal.

In short: yes, there is a real optical/photographic reason for the difference.