Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon is a Canadian content creator, photographer, and filmmaker who gained widespread recognition through his online video tutorials. Born on October 28, 1985, he established a prominent digital presence focused on camera techniques and visual storytelling. His decision to produce educational videos was driven by a desire to address a lack of high-quality and engaging instructional media available to aspiring creators.

Raised in Toronto, Canada, McKinnon spent his youth participating in skateboarding and BMX biking. His entry into visual arts began around 2009, when he received a basic point-and-shoot camera for attending his sister's wedding party. After observing a friend operate a digital single-lens reflex camera, he saved money to buy his own DSLR equipment and began taking photographs for stock agencies, portraits, and wedding events.

Before focusing entirely on digital media, McKinnon left college while remaining just one credit short of graduation. During this period, he pursued training as a magician while working a variety of jobs, including a steakhouse cook, an associate for State Farm, and a golf course landscaper. In 2016, while employed at a retail camera store, he began uploading videos to YouTube. He transitioned to managing his channel as a full-time profession once he accumulated 800 subscribers.

Throughout his career, McKinnon has partnered with various commercial brands to design gear and merchandise. In 2019, he teamed up with PolarPro to produce neutral-density filters. That same year, the Royal Canadian Mint commemorated his photography by placing his image of Moraine Lake on a two-ounce fine silver coin, which featured edges engraved in the shape of a camera aperture.

In 2020, Canon Inc. selected McKinnon to present the Canon EOS R5 in the camera's official announcement video. That same year, he collaborated with the brand Nomatic to release a specialized camera backpack, an endeavor that received a nomination for Best Creator Product at the 10th Streamy Awards. He subsequently expanded his line of camera bags with Nomatic in 2023 through a Kickstarter fundraising campaign.

McKinnon has continued to release branded equipment for visual creators. In 2025, he partnered with the action camera company Insta360 to release a limited-edition model of the Insta360 X4.