Tag Archive for matted

NEW Portfolio Box Options!

Portfolio Box Grouping - Shown in Black Buckram and Natural Blend Linen with white frame-mount mats.

As if they weren’t spectacular enough already, the Seldex Portfiolio Boxes have some new options that you are simply going to ADORE!!!

Natural Blend Linen Cover

This new cover material option adds a little yang to your yin where there were only black fabric options before.  This one should bring some light to the bunch and is proving to be a hit with child & family portrait photographers.

New Natural Blend Linen cover for Seldex Portfolio Box. Pictured with Black Buckram box.

New Natural Blend Linen cover for Seldex Portfolio Box. Pictured with Black Buckram box.

 

Ribbon Tie Closure

Here’s a new little addition to add some extra polish and softness to the exterior.  The ribbon will be match the base box color you choose – black or white.

Optional ribbon tie closures for your Seldex Portfolio Box.

Optional ribbon tie closures for your Seldex Portfolio Box.

 

Indent for Cameo Image

This option will allow you to mount a 2.5 x 3.5 print on a rectangular Portfolio Box, or a 3×3 print on a square box.  (*This is not an option on the image covers.)

Optional indentation for cameo photo on your Seldex Portfolio Box

Optional indentation for cameo photo on your Seldex Portfolio Box

 

V-groove Frame Mounts

Available on both the white on white and the black on white frame mounts, a V-groove can be carved around the openings on your mats to add a premium touch of elegance.

Optional new V-groove addition to your frame mounts.

Optional new V-groove addition to your frame mounts.

 

Print & Assembly Services

We now offer two options for receiving a finished box from us (or having it delivered directly to your client – there’s no fee for drop-shipping).

You can order frame mounts with your box and choose to have us print & assemble your images into them…

OR you can choose to skip the mounts and go for Styrene Mounted Prints.  You’d upload images sized for the box (ie the 11×14 box accommodates 11×14 prints).  Styrene mounts and frame mounts are about the same thickness so the standard box depth will hold up to 18 and the deep box will hold up to 25 mounts.

Print and Assembly options are available with the Portfolio Box: matted frame mounts and styrene mounted prints. See pricing for more info.

Print and Assembly options are available with the Portfolio Box: matted frame mounts and styrene mounted prints. See pricing for more info.

 

Stand-alone Frame Mounts

And to round it all out: Many photogs like to present their loose print orders matted and mounted for a finished presentation and easy display on an easel or in a frame.  The same frame mounts that are used in the Portfolio Box are also available to order in packs of 25.

Click here to order Portfolio Box Mats now!

Click here to order Portfolio Box Mats now!

 

Keep checking back for an even bigger announcement to come regarding boxes.  Believe me, YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT.

Jamie Westman

Jamie Westman

Jamie is Finao's resident Guidance Guru and Marketing Assistant to the Queen of All Things Finabulous, Christine Perry-burke.

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Boudie-licious!

A lot of people think that we pretty much just work with wedding photographers to make wedding albums, and although that is a big portion of what we do, it’s definitely not the only thing we’re into.  Boudoir photography has really been growing in recent years and many of the photographers that work with us sell a wide range of Finao and Seldex products to their boudoir clients.  Nothing sexier than a little book of secrets….maybe a BIG book of not-so-secrets >=)

Here’s a selection of our steamiest albums and boxes that could really give a rise to your boudoir business ;)

 

Elements

Finao Elements self mount albums are perfect for portraits and boudoir.

Finao’s seductive collection of tantalizing textures.

Elements albums are fantastic books by Finao that fall under the category of “self-mount” which means exactly what it sounds like (hey, get your mind out of the gutter!) – there is adhesive on the pages so you can mount your own prints to the page.  It’s super easy to do, we’ve even got video instructions, but we also offer a Print & Assembly option if you’re of the “do it for me” mindset.

Elements come in super sexy silks, linens, fabrics and fauxs, or upgrade to incorporate sultry leathers and suedes.  Guest book “TXT” versions are also available.  Studio samples are 25% off and available through the Sample Order Form.

 

playBOOK

Finao playBOOK photo books in new fabric cover materials.

Finao’s photographically printed playBOOK is the ultimate in a luxury album feel at a press-book price.

playBOOK is the hottest new photo book on the market and will make you kiss press-books goodbye!  playBOOK features photographic prints, skinny page styling, and seamless, lay-flat binding for breathtaking panoramic spreads.  The playBOOK comes in TONS of gorgeous fabric, silk and vegan leather cover options as well as image covers at no additional cost.  This is THE book for the boudoir client who wants a higher-end, magazine style, designed book without going all the way for a flush mount.

Get some more play with a playBOOK! Studio samples are 25% off and available through the Sample Order Form.

 

Seldex Gallery and Twin Sets

Seldex Gallery matted album available in US at Finao. Perfect album for portraits - seniors, boudoir, babies and families as well as guest books.

Gallery albums come with tons of cover options and make gorgeous portrait albums and guest books.

Gallery albums are gorgeous matted albums that are perfect for portraits and guest books.  They come in either a 9″ or 12″ square, have TONS of cover options from linens to fauxs to fine leathers and even image wraps, capacity of up to 30 mats in your choice of 4 styles and numerous mat configurations.

Gallery albums are a breeze to assemble yourself with your own prints – here’s a short video so you can see how it’s done – but if you don’t want to, we offer a print & assembly service as well for a low price per page (software required for P&A).

 

Portrait Suite

Portrait Suite by Seldex available in US at www.finao.com

Seldex’s Portrait Suite is the total package!

If it’s the total package you’re looking for, the Portrait Suite by Seldex provides you with an all-around presentation to your clients. A matted album wrapped in a photo cover is nestled inside a matching photo-covered box.  Hide a little CD button and coordinating printed disk on the inside of the lid, and you’ve got yourself a “suite” deal!

Just like the Gallery albums on the inside, the Portrait Suite albums are easy to assemble yourself with your own prints – here’s a short video so you can see how it’s done – but if you don’t want to, we offer a print & assembly service as well for a low price per page (software required for P&A).

 

Portfolio and Preview Boxes

Seldex Portfolio and Preview Boxes shown in "Boudie Call" templates by Design Aglow.

Design Aglow provides “Boudie Call” boudoir themed templates for albums, boxes and more. Visit www.designaglow.com. Image courtesy of Design Aglow.

For those who are into something a little different, a Portfolio Box or Image Preview Box by Seldex may be the remedy.  The Portfolio Box has been made popular lately by revered portrait photographer Sue Bryce, and with their simple sophistication, it’s easy to see why she sells so many!  Try a custom image cover, black buckram fabric or “Black Pearl” silk brocade.  A Natural Blend Linen is also available and quite popular for child & family sessions.  Simple white or black frame-mounts showcase your prints inside the box and make for the perfect way to add-to over time, or highlight various prints on an easel.  Styrene mounted prints are also available for both box types instead.

The Seldex Image Preview Boxes are smaller boxes that keep loose prints (or styrene mounted). Available in a variety of sizes to accommodate many needs, the Image Preview Box is perfect for anything from a sneak peek to the full Monty!

A 25% Studio sample discount is available for the Portfolio Box when you order through the Sample Order Form.

Like what you see?  Want more?  We’re happy to please!  Just ask and we’ll make sure all your needs are satisfied… ;p

Jamie Westman

Jamie Westman

Jamie is Finao's resident Guidance Guru and Marketing Assistant to the Queen of All Things Finabulous, Christine Perry-burke.

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WTF! (We’re Talking Finao) – Products for Seniors

Variations on a Theme - Lady Luck group with matching Elements a

Hey All!  Jamie here with another edition of WTF! (We’re Talking Finao!) and the topic today is Products for Seniors.  Finao’s got you covered with some AWESOME albums and peripherals that will round-out any senior package!

My #1 recommendation for seniors is the Elements line of albums.  These self-mount albums are easy to assemble (check out our YouTube page for instructional video), super friendly to the pocket-book and come in more than 100 AMAZING cover materials including a Photo Wrap at no additional cost!  Seniors demand the hottest trends and you can give it to them!  These ultra-modern and hip albums will send them bragging to all their friends, and you don’t want to miss an opportunity to drum up more business, so be sure to include your branding in the front by creating a custom studio die.

Elements self-adhesive albums by Finao come in fabric, leather and photo wrap cover options and also feature guest book page options.

Elements self-adhesive albums by Finao come in fabric, leather and photo wrap cover options and also feature guest book page options.

 

You can expand on your theme by including a complementary Xcetera Folio, eFX CD Case, or a 3ditions set of Elements albums.

Variations on a Theme – Grouping in “Lady Luck”.

 

For your seniors who are looking for a more custom storybook type of album, the playBOOK is the way to go – it’s a definite game-changer!  These rad books feature real photographic prints (no press-prints here!), seamless panoramic spreads that lay flat, skinny page styling and TONS of fashion-forward cover options, plus they’re shockingly affordable!  They come in a huge assortment of non-leather materials or the Photo Wrap at no additional cost!  playBOOKS require that you submit your finished image layouts at the time of the order and there are sizing templates available under the playBOOK’s “File Prep” section at Finao.com.

playBOOKs have a seamless construction and lay-flat design.

playBOOKs have a seamless construction and lay-flat design.

 

Or, for a more traditional look, the matted Seldex Gallery albums are another great choice!  These are made by Seldex in Australia, and we are their North American distributor.  They come in either a 9″ or 12″ square, have TONS of cover options from linens to fauxs to fine leathers and image wraps, and capacity of up to 30 mats in numerous mat configurations.   Pricing is really easy and reasonable too!  The Gallery albums are a breeze to assemble yourself with your own prints – here’s a short video so you can see how it’s done!

Matted Print

Matted Print

 

And for a new twist on the traditional Gallery matted album, check out the Seldex Portrait Suite!  A matted album like the Gallery on the inside, but a photo cover and matching photo-cover box on the outside.  Available in the 9″ square and two vertical sizes (one for 5×7 prints and one for 7×10 prints) and with the optional CD/DVD holder and matching printed disc, these sets are sure sellers for any portrait session.

The Seldex Portrait Suite takes the original matted Gallery album to a new level.

The Seldex Portrait Suite takes the original matted Gallery album to a new level.

 

For more information on any of these items please visit our website http://www.finao.com or give our customer service a call 888-FINAO-US Mon-Fri 10am-6pm EDT.

 

PEACE AND LOVE, JAMIE

Jamie Westman

Jamie Westman

Jamie is Finao's resident Guidance Guru and Marketing Assistant to the Queen of All Things Finabulous, Christine Perry-burke.

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How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Happy Earth Day,

Everyone is asking today “What will you do to celebrate Earth Day?” Change to an energy efficient light bulb? Lower your heating/cooling? Turn off the lights when you leave the room? At Finao, we try to celebrate Earth Day every day. If you have never read it, you should check out our GREEN INTRODUCTION in the Getting Started portion of our webstie. It talks about all the things we do in our products and offices to try and make our products and work spaces better for everyone. We might just give you a few ideas of your own to help you celebrate.

In recognition of Earth Day today, the Fashion Blog is GOING GREEN in our salute to making this world a better place for all to live on. Are you ready to get green?

So, feel good that you are dealing with an album company with these philosophies at heart. We would much prefer to offer you quality over cheap. There is generally a reason it’s cheap, we try and take a look behind why that is so with all of our materials and products. If the reasons don’t match our philosophy, we won’t sell it to you…plain and simple.

Have a good Earth Day everyone.

- L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

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LUDICROUS PASSION? | Our best of boudoir month – putting it all together

Well kiddies,

I hope you have had an inspirational month for boudoir and Valentease Day via our Fashion Blog. For the last three weeks we have focused on all the major material groups across the various product lines we offer. Each week we were inspired by a different person or time period. Now, however, do you think we can pull it all together. I think we can.

The test I gave myself this week was to take the last three weeks of Fashion Blog palettes and come up with one cohesive theme that could run across product lines. There were many totally AWESOME combinations I could come up with but if I wanted something that could spread across all the various lines, I had to give some of those awesome combos up….bummer.

I did pick a pretty basic color combination, however, as you will see, it can totally work from flush mount albums to selfmount albums to matted albums to press books. Really? Yes, really. Let’s check out the picks for our Best of Boudoir month 2010….*drum roll*

For our purposes here, I chose some pretty typical colors for boudoir (red and black) but by doing so, I gave myself more options in working with multiple product types. It’s a give and take relationship. If I want to be diverse in offerings, I have to keep some things simple. It doesn’t mean everything has to look the same though, does it?

For flush mounts I chose the Ludicrous patterned leather from the Fragments collection and paired it with Passion from the All that Jazz collection to play off one of our main cover design principles, mix a texture with a smooth.

Passion can also be used on the Upper Elements line. You can also tooTone! it with Miami Ink (black) into a nice companion self mount or guestbook style album. They won’t be exactly the same but the Passion will be the cohesion that keeps the two styles together.

What if you want to throw in a matted album. The simple addition would be to throw in a Gallery album in Red Linen. If you wanted something a bit more upscale, however, try Two Toning a Bookbound Art album. Yes, you can do that. I cheated and added Raven leather to the one shown here (it wasn’t part of my original picks). Add a nice cover image to a relatively simple cover and you have something that is arty and elegant and easy to offer with the other options.

For the quick turnaround minded out there, check out Lady Danger from the Brocade collection. She can be used on flush mounts, self mounts and press books. Self mounts are GREAT in that you can order stock and have them in-house for a super quick turnaround from shoot to client. Lady Danger can also be used as-is on the ONE flush mounts or mix it with Miami Ink for a nice red & black tooTone! Since press books make great add-ons as well, take your existing flush mount spreads and have them made into a RAVE press book. Coat it in Danger, add a nice opening to the cover and VOILA! Total hotness!

Thanks for reading this week, next week starts a whole new month and even more ideas so come on back. See you next Fashion Friday.

L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

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THE ELEGANT STYLINGS OF JOSEPHINE BAKER | a color palette for Seldex

Greetings from LONDON!

Welcome to another edition of Fashion Friday. We are continuing this week with another boudoir-inspired color palette. This time, however, we are going to look at Seldex materials for matted albums and folios. Remember to check your material to make sure it’s available on the product you want to use. Are you ready?

This week our inspiration turns to an American ex-patriate. The Bronze Venus. The Black Pearl. The Creole Godess. In France she was simply referred to as La Baker. Our inspiration this week…Miss Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker was a singer and dancer in the 1920 and 30s. She was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture and integrate an American concert hall and went on to become a world famous entertainer and civil rights supporter. She was most famous in France for her sensuousperformances and costumes. Ernest Hemingway called her “… the most sensational woman anyone ever saw.

That being said, let’s take a look at our Josephine Baker inspired palette for this week.

1) Oyster buckram 2) Argento brocade 3) Python Multi leatherette 4) Butterscotch Iridescent asahi 5) Copper shimmer 6) Aquamarine linen 7) Red linen 8) Purple Gold Iridescent asahi 9) Cappuccino Saturn 10) Black outback leather

So, If you are looking for something a bit more elegant for your images, think matted albums with a cover from our Josephine palette. Try the extravagance of the Bookbound Art or the simplicity of the Gallery albums or maybe even a nice pair of images in a Seldex portrait folio. Look for more material options to be added to the folio line in the next couple of weeks.

That’s all from the London road this week. Stop by again next week for yet another boudoir inspired palette as we gear up for Valentease Day.

You won’t want to miss it.

Cheers mate!

L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

More Posts - Website

PANTONE FASHION COLOR REPORT | spring 2010

Brrrrrr….it’s cold!

I’m going to continue to think warm this week by taking a look at what Pantone has picked out for it’s Spring 2010 colors. It’s grading time folks, let’s see how Finao does:

FINAO LEATHERS: A-

The leathers appear to be the clear winner this round. They are the closest matches to our Pantone palette and can supply some fabulous spring cover options for the Finao ONE and Upper Elements line (select materials only). Best matches go to Lobster & ‘Shroom. We lose points for the blue. Nothing close on that one but our traditional Wedgewood option. Better luck next time, perhaps.

FINAO NON-LEATHERS: B-

The non-leathers by comparison are probably the weakest in matching our Pantone palette, however, there are still loads of nice choices for many of the colors that can be used on our self-mount Elements line. Best matches here go to: Geisha and Platinum Blonde. The Geisha has a nice reflective quality that the scan can’t really capture so go check your swatches to see what I mean. (pssst….you can buy the swatches if you don’t already have them :). Again, we lose points on trying to match the Violet and Amaparo Blue. That blue is just tough to match.

SELDEX MATERIALS: B

While maybe not the strongest of the material collections either, Seldex does get near spot on with a few of the colors. Their Aquamarine is super close and Cornflower is probably the closest match to that Amparo blue yet. They don’t have anything close to the Aurora yellow, however, if you get creative and check out the highlight color in Butterscotch Iridescent you might get close. Just depends on how you choose to accent colors. The Seldex materials here represent their entire line so make sure to check that the material you like is available on that specific product.

That’s all for this week….and this year. We will see you again in January when I’m going to have a whole series of ideas to help gear you up for Valen-tease day. That’s right. It’s time to boost those boudoir sales and I’ll have some colorful ideas to make it happen. Till then,

Happy Holidays everyone,

L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

More Posts - Website

BEACHY CLEAN | take your theme to the beach

Back again for another edition of the Fashion Blog. It’s cold here! I don’t know about you but I could totally use a day a the beach where the sun is warm so that is my inspiration for this week. Our imaginary client this week wants a Beachy Clean wedding so let’s take a look at some ideas on how to pull it off and what kind of materials & products you could offer. Let’s dive in!

1) Opaline (leather) 2) Lusterin’ Hot (suede) 3) Saffron (leather) 4) Willow Tree (leather) 5) Natural Blend (linen) 6) Iridescent Butterscotch (Asahi silk) 7) Faded Jeans (faux leather) 8) Element self mount album in PlatinumBlonde 9) Finao ONE 20×8 Flipbook with ICE cover and Fexy Bleu suede 10) Natural Timber Bookbound Art matted album

MATTED ALBUMS

With loads of new materials added to the mix this past summer, Seldex has some really nice beachy materials that can be used on the Bookbound Art and Gallery albums. Seldex re-introduced some wood covers and the Natural Timber (example 10) would make an excellent start. The spine is normally black on this cover, however, you could choose from a selection of leathers and leatherettes to better match your theme if you like.

Even if you are not doing a Timber cover, Seldex still has plenty of other leather options for the Bookbound Art that could work for our beach theme. Some of my personal favorites are Sandstone Outback leather, Mother of Pearl metallic leather and Ivory leather. Any one of them would be great options to consider as well.

If you are stepping down to the Gallery matted album for a portrait or guest book you have your choice of linen and other book cloths that fit swimmingly with our theme. My top two pics are shown: Natural Blend linen (example 5) and Iridescent Butterscotch (example 6). There are plenty of runners-up here, as well. Sandbank linen, Sky Blue linen, Fuchsia linen, Pink linen, Oyster buckram and even the Soft Blue Gold Asahi silk could easily transfer to our beach theme depending on what colors our client is choosing as the main colors.

FLUSH MOUNTS

Our top choices in the flush mount category for the Finao ONE are pretty much straight up leathers this time. Since these are mostly pretty smooth and plainer leathers, they make great candidates for our tooTone! Album styles. Match one of the colors in our primary beach palette here (examples 1-4) with a plethora of accent colors. Some of my top choice accent colors (not shown here) would be Optimism, ‘Shroom, Sunshine, Lobster, Aquadisiac, Wedgewood, Drifter, Baby Boi and Girlie Girl.

There are a couple of specialty covers that I would recommend trying for the beach theme, as well, since they are both directly tied to what image you decide to use. Top pic goes to the ICE specialty cover (example 9) with the Magical Mystery Glass cover (not shown) coming in directly behind. ICE wins out for the sole reason its a metallic print under acrylic and lends an awesome pearl-like sheen when the light hits it. Just seems perfect for the beach.

SELF MOUNTS

The beachy choices for self-mount albums is probably the most limited of the collections. Top pic here goes to Faded Jeans (example 7). Platinum blonde (example 8) is also a nice choice along with Mellow Yellow (not shown) or perhaps even Academy Award (not shown) depending on the client’s colors.

If you decide to upgrade to an Upper Element or Upper Element TXT guestbook, then you open up some more possibilities for yourself with the leather options and could make a nice tooTone! tie-in with a flush mount album depending on what colors you choose. Remember, that not all leather options are available on the Upper Elements lines so if you think this might be an idea you would like to pursue, make sure the leathers you would like to use are available options on both types of albums.

That’s all for this week. I hope we thawed out some of those creative juices and come back next week for another round or ideas and inspirations.

L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

More Posts - Website

PUNK PRINCESS | an edgy (but girlie) theme

Welcome back from the break!

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday. We return to Fashion Fridays this week with the look at recommendations for the Punk Princess. She may be a bit edgy and a bit rock ‘n roll so what would you offer her? How would you keep it fun? How would you keep it feminine? How would you match the album to the other parts of her wedding? Let’s look at some ideas:

1) Mardi Gras (fabric) 2) Willow Tree (leather) 3) Lusterin’ Hot (suede) 4) Ludicrous (patterned leather) 5) Mock Croc Steel (leatherette) 6) Aubergine (macrosuede) 7) Whitesnake (faux snakeskin) 8) Bullet cover with Saturday Night Special (metallic leather) 9) Sunday Shoes (patent leather) with Suspicion (ostrich pattern leather) 10) Something Wicked (patent leather) with Suspicion (ostrich pattern leather)

MATTED ALBUMS

Traditionally matted albums have been pretty conservative, however, this past year Seldex has completely revamped their material offerings and cover designs (like Too Tone options) and delivered a modern punch to the matted album industry. Try a Bookbound Art album in one of the new Wild Animalia leatherettes like Mock Croc Steel (example 5) with a plainer leather and Too Tone it. There are some wonderful combinations that can be made with these new materials.

For the simpler Gallery albums there are plenty of options here as well. Macrosuedes like Aubergine (example 6) work for both Bookbound Art and Gallery albums, making matching different styles of matted albums easy. The Shimmer collection is another excellent choice for our Punk Princess theme. We recommend Candy Pink, Purple or Gunmetal shimmer. Don’t forget, if you order blank mats, Gallery albums can easily be turned into fine art guest books.

FLUSH MOUNTS

Flush mounts tend to be the backbone of any major wedding photography package, and the Finao ONE album delivers just about any crazy combination that you can dream up to match ANY theme. For our Punk Princess we have selected a little something old and a little something new. For the something new we have FABRICS that come in fabulously funky patterns like Mardi Gras (example 1) and patterned leather like Ludicrous (example 4). For the tried and true there are plainer leathers like Willow Tree (example 2) and Lusterin’ Hot (example 3).

We would also recommend our Bullet (brushed metal) specialty cover for some hard-edged, punk appeal (example 8) or some patent leather like Sunday Shoes (example 9), Something Wicked (example 10) or Red Light District for some sleek & sexy appeal.

If your Punk Princess likes to take a walk on the wild side, why not consider adding some Zumanity accents in either Racing Stripes or Kitty Kitty for just the right purrrfect appeal.

SELF MOUNTS

My top pick for the self mount albums & guest books for our Punk Princess is Whitesnake. It’s a nice neutral color combined with a snakeskin pattern for a little extra oomf. The Happy Cow collection offers some nice, plain, leather-like materials and the Garbo collection offers some nice suede-like materials. With over 70 different non-leather choices, Elements make great package add-ons to any theme.

L :l

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman

Lisa Hoffman is Finao's official Image Enhancer for the Marketing Department. She makes stuff pretty...usually.

More Posts - Website