By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Downtown Niles is a hot spot for new businesses.
Prestige Portraits has opened their newest studio in downtown Niles and celebrated this occasion with a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 28.
The new studio at 218 N. Front St., just across from the Riverfront Cafe, covers 3,000 square feet of space.
Prestige is part of the national portrait company, Lifetouch which offers school portraits, sports photography, church directories and has studios in J.C. Penny stores.
The new studio is being run by the Mills' daughter Kim Ortiz and Stacey Raskow.
Kim has 15 years of experience as a portrait photographer and Stacey has eight years experience.
It offers those getting pictures done a variety of sets, as well as changing rooms. The photographers also are able to take pictures at the Riverfront Park and in the alley ways in the downtown area.
The studio began locally when Bob and Mary Mills started Mills Photography.
In 1983 the Mills' brought a large house on St. Joseph Ave. and opened a studio. After several years of growth, Lifetouch approached them and offered them the opportunity to develop senior portraits in all of Southwest Michigan.
In 1990, the Mills joined with Lifetouch as part of their Prestige Portrait team, and began working with a territory manager from Kalamazoo. A second studio was opened in Kalamazoo and the Southwestern Michigan Prestige Portrait studios quickly rose to the top of the national company winning several Portrait Excellence awards.