Peter McKinnon is a well-known photographer and video creator who gained popularity by sharing his passions on his YouTube channel.
His amazing photography and aesthetic videos have captivated millions of people across multiple social media platforms.
Not only that, he became a photography entrepreneur who inspires others.
So how did Peter achieve his success and become a famous photography entrepreneur?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Who is Peter McKinnon?
As it is said on his official website:
Peter McKinnon is an internationally acclaimed photographer, filmmaker, YouTube creator and entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada.
Peter McKinnon combined his two passions – videography and photography. He created a YouTube channel which is one of the most popular YT channels amongst photographers today.
Here’s his channel info as of January 2023:
On Instagram, he has 3.2 million followers while his Facebook Page boosts a solid 454K fanbase.
On YouTube, he shares tips to help emerging photographers and introduces people to the business aspect of photography.
Peter McKinnon in Numbers
- He has over 5.8 million subscribers on his YouTube channel
- Over 3.2 million people follow Peter on Instagram
- He has a Facebook Page with 450,000 followers
Peter McKinnon Biography
| Net Worth: | $3 – $4 million |
| Peter McKinnon’s Age: | 37 years old |
| Birth Date: | October 28, 1985 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Nationality: | Canadian |
| Status: | Married |
Early Life
Peter McKinnon was born in Toronto to a middle-class family. He is of Caucasian descent.
He went to high school and started college where he was taking a photography course. He wanted to study his passion in college and know more about photography but never graduated.
McKinnon dropped out of college and never went back. However, he did not let this get in his way. He learned, observed, and practised. His success is a great example of the fact that you don’t necessarily need a degree to succeed in life.
Finding his passion
One time he attended his sister’s wedding and like any brother he took some photos of the big event.
He later experimented on macros and took a shot of a blade of grass, and that’s where it all began! He knew this is what he wanted to do more of.
Then he started taking photos as a hobby but soon he found himself in the professional domain of photography and filmography.
That’s how McKinnon found his passion for photography and aesthetics.
Start of the Career
McKinnon has worked in this niche for years and perfected his work over time to achieve its current success.
His job at the time required him to take images and videos of magicians as they performed.
Initially, he posted videos on Vimeo. Later he started his career as a vlogger on YouTube and started uploading videos about photography and videography.
Peter McKinnon was not served anything on a silver platter. He kept learning more about his craft and never gave up, that’s why he succeeded.
Peter McKinnon Net Worth
Peter McKinnon has an estimated net worth of around $3 – $4 million. Judging from his social media presence and popularity, this should not be far from the truth.
Revenue Streams
Here is an inspiring video about McKinnon’s revenue streams (a great in-depth analysis by entrepreneur Noah Kagan):
Not bad, right? He really did a great job by diversifying his income.
Note: all numbers in the video are approximate and were generated from publicly available information.
As we can see, most of Peter McKinnon’s revenue streams are:
- YouTube Ads
- Digital assets
- Amazon Affiliate
- Merchandise / Partnerships
- Deals with brands
- Professional work as a photographer/videographer
Brand deals (such as promoting Luminar Neo photo editor) and YouTube Ads are his main income streams. We can estimate that they make up more than half of his total income. What is more, he might have some investments or other businesses that he keeps in private.
YouTube Career
Peter McKinnon has a YouTube channel with over 5.80M subscribers. He is definitely aiming for the 6 million benchmark soon.
The reason behind his popularity is his dedication to educating people and the love he has for photography.
He created this channel to share his expertise and insights on in-demand topics. His first video was a step-by-step guide about how to do a photoshoot. Within 9 months, he gained 1 million followers. And later it exploded even more.
4 Inspiring Lessons We Can Learn From Peter McKinnon:
✅ Lesson 1: Stick To Your Passion
Even though he dropped out of college, he was always sticking to photography. No matter where he goes or what he does, he has his camera with him.
He also loves to educate his audience about photography, videography and editing.
✅ Lesson 2: Create Engaging And Useful Content
I guess no one would argue that Peter McKinnon’s videos are extremely satisfying and inspirational.
Beginner photographers and people who are generally interested in photography find his videos very informational.
I would say the main reason is that’s because he always seems to give his 100% and shares his personal experience. In his videos, you can see that he:
- Is honest
- Is extremely skilful
- Creates great stories in his videos
- Shares some of his personal life (passion for coffee, illusionism, pocket knives etc.)
- Educates people
No surprise that some of his videos went viral.
Moreover, his audience is especially interested in learning more about the business and professional aspects of photography.
If you are creating content, make sure to educate your audience about the products and services you recommend. Also, use your content to build and grow your online presence.
✅ Lesson 3: Create Multiple Income Streams
We discussed earlier that McKinnon has at least 5-6 sources of income.
He truly is a great photography entrepreneur.
While building his YouTube channel, he also successfully managed to create multiple revenue sources.
His popularity on YouTube helps him to make money with affiliate sales promoting his own gear. Moreover, he has his own products like Lightroom presets (see my guide on how you can install them), photo prints, motion GFX, video luts, sound packs and his own branded gear.
✅ Lesson 4: Create Partnerships
Peter knows the importance of creating partnerships and getting brand deals.
The most popular sponsorships and partnerships with brands we can see in his videos are:
- Squarespace
- DJI
- Nomatic
…and much more.
What’s more, he often publishes videos with other popular video creators which helps him to reach a broader audience.
FAQ About Peter McKinnon
What is Peter McKinnon net worth?
Peter McKinnon has an estimated net worth of $3-4 million. The majority of it comes from his YouTube channel, sponsorships, brand deals and affiliate sales.
How did Peter McKinnon get famous?
Peter started publishing high-quality videos on his YouTube channel educating people about photography. He quickly gained popularity among other photographers and started building his fan base.
How old is Peter McKinnon?
Peter McKinnon is 37 years old. He was born on October 28, 1985.
Are Peter McKinnon presets worth it?
Peter McKinnon’s presets are definitely worth it. If you are not sure about them, you can even check his videos to see the before and after how he edits pictures with his own presets.
Final Thoughts
Peter McKinnon has become very popular YouTuber in recent years.
His videos are not only entertaining but extremely inspiring and educational to a lot of people.
McKinnon has inspired many around the world to pursue their passion and persevere in the face of difficulties. Many times I was looking for inspiration as a photographer in his videos myself.
Hopefully, you can also be inspired by his life story and pursue your passion!
Explore Luminar Neo: