Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon
McKinnon in 2017
Born
Peter McKinnon

(1985-10-28) October 28, 1985
Toronto, Canada
Years active2016–present
Instagram information
Page
Followers3.1 million
YouTube information
Channel
Genres
  • Photography
  • film
  • vlog
Subscribers6.02 million
Views652.9 million
Last updated: July 30, 2026
Websitewww.petermckinnon.com

Peter McKinnon (born October 28, 1985) is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber. He is known for his tutorials that he posts online, which he began making due to a lack of high-quality and engaging ones that he had found. McKinnon has also released camera equipment and merchandise in collaboration with established brands.[1][2]

Early life

Peter McKinnon was born on October 28, 1985, in Toronto, Canada. He originally grew up as a BMX biker and skateboarder.[3]

Career

McKinnon was not interested in photography until he was gifted a point-and-shoot camera in c. 2009 for attending his sister's wedding party. McKinnon then saved up for a DSLR after seeing his friend use one; he later began shooting weddings, portraits, and stock photos.[3] He dropped out of college after being one credit short of graduating and worked a series of jobs while training to be a magician, including a golf course landscaper, State Farm associate, and steakhouse cook. McKinnon began uploading to YouTube in 2016 while working at a camera shop. He started making videos due to the lack of engaging and high-quality filmmaking videos the he had seen. He switched to working on the channel full-time when he had 800 subscribers.[4]

In 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint announced that a photo of Moraine Lake taken by McKinnon would feature on a 2 oz (57 g) fine silver coin, with the edges of the coin being graved in the chape of a camera's aperture.[5] That year, he also worked with PolarPro to create neutral-density filters.[6] In 2020, he collaborated with Nomatic, releasing a camera backpack; it was nominated for Best Creator Product at the 10th Streamy Awards.[7][8][9] Also in 2020, McKinnon was chosen by Canon Inc. to introduce the Canon EOS R5 in the camera's official announcement video.[10] He released additional camera bags with Nomatic in 2023, funding the product through Kickstarter.[11] In 2025, McKinnon released a limited-edition Insta360 X4 camera with Insta360.[12]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2019 Shorty Awards Breakout YouTuber of the Year Won [13]
2019 Streamy Awards Cinematography Nominated [14]
2020 Won [7]
Creator Product Nominated [7]

References

  1. ↑ Queen, Lisa (December 6, 2022). "'Inspire a young generation': Newmarket YouTube sensation Peter McKinnon creating Main Street creators' hub". YorkRegion.com. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  2. ↑ Palace, Matt (October 5, 2024). "How Peter McKinnon Photographed the World's Greatest Action Hero - Kiefer Sutherland!". Photography Blog Tips - ISO 1200 Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Zhang, Michael (December 28, 2018). "The Bucket Shot: Peter McKinnon's Journey to Shooting His Dream Photo". PetaPixel. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  4. ↑ Youshaei, Jon (February 17, 2023). "How Peter McKinnon Turned 55 Cents Into A YouTube Empire". Forbes. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Royal Canadian Mint, World-Renowned Photographer Peter McKinnon Create New Coin Series". CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors. April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  6. ↑ Gray, Jeremy (April 4, 2019). "PolarPro joins with Peter McKinnon for new variable neutral density filters & we have gone hands-on". Imaging Resource. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "10th Annual Streamy Nominees & Winners". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  8. ↑ Crewe, David J. (December 5, 2020). "McKinnon 35L Camera Pack Review - Just The Thing For Every Photographer This Holiday". SLR Lounge. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  9. ↑ Schneider, Jaron (April 13, 2021). "Nomatic and Peter McKinnon Launch Three New Everyday Bags". PetaPixel. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  10. ↑ Artaius, James (July 22, 2021). "Is this REALLY "the best prime lens… period"?". Digital Camera World. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  11. ↑ Gray, Jeremy (October 23, 2023). "Peter McKinnon and Nomatic Team Up Again With Stylish New Camera Bags". PetaPixel. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  12. ↑ Young, Felix (January 7, 2025). "Peter McKinnon Teams Up with Insta360 for a Limited Edition X4 Pro Camera". Hypebeast. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  13. ↑ "11th The Shorty Awards". shortyawards.com. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  14. ↑ "9th Annual Streamy Nominees & Winners". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
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