A Samurai sword, passed on.
In 2010, John Michael Cooper introduced me to the idea of artist book with commercial value. “Alt-F” as he was known, re-invented wedding photography by introducing the “trash-the-dress” session, which was more about creation than destruction. This concept and a workshop I attended with him in 2008 gave me tools to help me anchor a “different-er" wedding photography business that wasn’t about just pretty pictures and leaned more into creativity, expression, and different visual language most wedding couples didn’t knew existed… that was non-formulaic. John made his own wedding albums. And he taught his competition how to do the same. To not be different, but “different-er.” This became my self-MFA photography foundation that helped me grow strategically and creatively.
I downloaded the tutorial video in 2010, perhaps have watched it more times than “Dumb and Dumber,” my favorite movie. And in it, he used this very Martin Yale 7000E stacking cutter, “this is most dangerous piece of gear I own,” he states. The product: a clean cut of sheets of book board and paper… an essential design element in many photobooks “a clean edge” is what is often referred to as.
Fast forward to 2026, and we connect during a mini-artist retreat at his studio in Las Vegas. John is preparing for his first portfolio review… as a 4-decade veteran in photography. His work is polarizing, mind-rocking, but a challenge to convey in the traditional sense of a 20-minute virtual speed dating portfolio review.
I flew to Vegas with my creative brother Matt Steaffens for a mini-retreat to learn shortcuts in book arts, editing and sequencing volumes, and how to survive in a brutal industry (photograph). John is a master at that. It was a return on investment like Ann Rand would say, in “Virtue of Selfishness,” the reason you help people is to make yourself feel better.
John had not used this Martin Yale 7000E cutter in a decade, gifted it to me, knowing I would give it a good home. Of course, I had to give it a good name: “Mr. Wade Deadpool Wilson” was my original intention. However, there wasn’t enough space on the book board for the text so I truncated it to “Wade Deadpool Wilson” but had extra space…
… then my Wolverine side of me grabbed the gold foil and stamped, “MIss.”
Sentimentally, growing my book arts toolset inspires me to make better art books.
Miss Wade “Deadpool” Wilson at home in my studio.
Stills from the 2010 Combobookmaking Tutorial by John Michael Cooper using a stacking cutter.
John showing me the ways with the Martin Yale 7000E cutter, “the most dangerous piece of gear I own,” he said.
