IF YOU GO:
WHO: Doves Portrait Design
WHAT: Birth to bridal photography including fairy tale images
WHERE: 9499 Niagara Falls Blvd.
PRICES: Sittings are sold in 15 minute increments at $12.50. Packages start at $99.
CONTACT: Visit dovesportraitdesign.com or call 205-8466.
Doves Portrait Design creates a fairyland for children
BIRTH TO BRIDAL: Studio makes sittings fun for children and adults.
Q&A;
The kids are angels over at Doves Studios on Niagara Falls but only because Annie Gresock can give them wings.
Fairy tale photos are part of the many background options that have been created by Gresock and her partner, Doug DeRosa. Little princesses come to life in their studio and cowboys do too. The photos get an even more magical feel when the pair adds moons or shooting stars and other special effects.
Gresock started her career with a company called Encore. When it closed unexpectedly she was left with only a box of photos and her two doves.The past few years have been spent rebuilding her career with a company she named Doves Portrait Design after her beloved birds. Several years ago she teamed up with her partner, DeRosa, and now the two work together in their studio on Niagara Falls Boulevard.
QUESTION: It seems your whole take on photography is to try and bring the magical to life. Is that true?
Annie: That’s what I like about it. Because, normally, when a baby goes to have a picture taken they’re scared. So I never wear white to work because then they’ll think I’m the doctor. Usually they put a child on a table with all these bright lights and they’re petrified. With me, most of the time, they don’t know they’re having their picture taken. They get dressed up as a cowboy a fairy or an angel. We have a bunch of different thumbed sessions that we do and they get to have fun with them. We built sets to match and coordinate.
•••
Q: It looks like you go way over the top with the sets. Tell me about that.
Annie: It’s kind of like a story book or fairy tale come true. I do research on the Internet looking at other photographers that inspire me a lot. We create settings for fairy tales and mother goose stories ... something that’s classical like the prince and the princess. You can dress the little girl as the fairy princess and her brother as the prince.
•••
Q. Kids must love this.
A: They have so much fun. Some of them actually cry when they leave.
•••
Q: Aww. And the mothers cry too, you told me.
A: When they see their pictures, We set them to music and play a slide show. We have them jot down a few images they really like. Then we take those images into (the computer program) Photoshop and enhance them even more with a star or a butterfly or a moon.
•••
Q: (Directed at DeRosa) So, you’re the guy who keeps things under control technically, but don’t you also get involved with the fun stuff?
Doug: Oh absolutely ... we’re constantly sitting at night in front of our 42-inch screen shopping on the Internet looking at prop stuff ... to me when we’re doing the little kids’ pictures it’s like being a little kid all over again.
Annie: I tell him all the time, I love my job, I love my little studio. I could absolutely not be happier.
•••
Q: (Directed to Annie) Tell me about the coolest part of your job.
Annie: Just recently there was this little boy that came in. He was autistic. He was just such a great kid. I could tell he was nervous at first and then his aunt came up to look at the pictures. We were in the back and we were playing with the hydraulic chairs (used during shooting). He says, “I have to ask you a question. Will you be my friend? I almost started crying and I said, Of course.” It was kind of cool.
•••
Q: What is the one thing you want people to know about you?
Doug: Nobody does it better.
Annie: Don’t’ say that. That sounds very conceited.
Doug: I can say it. You know what? I take a look around, and I’m not saying nobody else is good at what they do. I just think Annie’s got a special gift.
Annie: I absolutely can’t believe I get paid to do this. I have so much fun. Designing the set, taking the pictures, getting to know the families, having them come back the next year and seeing how they’ve grown. I’ve love it. It’s not work to me.
Contact reporter Michele DeLucaat 282-2311, ext. 2263.
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PHOTOS by JAMES NEISS: Payton Barker, 14 months, of North Tonawanda, has her portrait taken by local photographer Ann Gresock of Doves Portrait Design on Niagara Falls Blvd.
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NIAGARA BUSINESS Q&A: Dove's Portrait Design creates fairy tale images
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