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Product photography is way more creative and exciting than you think

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My first paying photo gig was a product shoot. It ended up turning into a regular thing for a couple of years. It wasn’t what I was passionate about, certainly not as passionate as Peter McKinnon is in this fourteen and a half minute video, but it was a lot of fun. It taught me a lot about light, shadow, reflections and perspective, and I’m so glad I had this opportunity early on in my days with a camera.

It turns out that product photography was Peter McKinnon’s first photo gig, too, and his bread and butter for several years. And it’s something he’s very passionate about. In the video, Peter walks you through his thought process and how product photography allows him to get creative. He also talks about potential ways one can monetise product photography, too.

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It’s okay if you suck – we all do sometimes

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One of the things common to all creatives, even the most successful ones, is that we all have doubts. Doubts in about our abilities, that we can’t stand up to the job people expect of us. And those doubts can often turn into an inner monologue something of the lines of “You suck. You should just quit and get a real job”. But getting over it is easy. You just have to let yourself suck, as this video from Peter McKinnon and the amazingly talented Stefan Kunz illustrates.

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Push yourself and your abilities by trying some night time photography

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Shooting outdoors at night scares a lot of people, or they simply don’t enjoy it. They’re worried that their gear can’t stand up to the job or that their abilities can’t. When the sun goes down, their kit goes away. The day’s over, what’s the point? It’s dark, it’s miserable, and you have to ramp up your ISO to ungodly levels, and the “rules” seem to go out the window.

Surprisingly, one such person was Peter McKinnon. But, as all of us must do if we hope to push ourselves, Peter stepped out of his comfort zone. He went out to force himself to shoot photos at night. In this video, he talks about his experiences and offers some great tips for those wishing to try it for themselves.

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Use a light stand with a boom arm to make an easy overhead camera rig

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There are so many different ways to mount a camera for overhead shots. But it always surprises me both how many people don’t know how they can do it, and whenever a video shows another method. We’ve posted about plenty of DIY options in the past for building fancy rigs, but this one utilises gear you probably already have.

Peter McKinnon’s recent video taking apart his Canon 1DX Mark II required an overhead shot. He wanted to be able to show the camera what he could see while he was doing it. So, he came up with this solution. All you need is a light stand, a boom arm, and a ball head.

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This is what a $6,000 DSLR looks like with its guts spilled out

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Oh, that crazy Peter McKinnon. At it again with his wacky adventures. This time, though, even by his own standards, he’s gone a little overboard, I think. Of course, when somebody like Peter McKinnon decides to have a go at doing his own teardown video, I’m not going to object.

This all began with an ATV mishap that destroyed the microphone socket on his beloved Canon 1DX Mark II. After calling Canon to see what could be done about it, they shipped him out a temporary replacement unit and told him to send his back in to be fixed. But between receiving that and actually sending his to Canon, though, Peter got curious and decided to open it up (his old one, not the new loaner).

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How to film yourself when nobody’s around to help

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Filming myself is probably one of the more difficult things I’ve ever attempted to learn with a camera. It’s so easy when you’re filming other people when you have all of the camera’s controls at your fingertips and are able to quickly adjust. Filming yourself, though, is an entirely different set of skills. But they’re essential skills if you’re looking to start vlogging, which I have.

I’m still no expert at it, and I still have a lot to learn. But you know who is an expert at filming themselves? Peter McKinnon, that’s who. In this video, Peter provides a whole slew of advice to help you film yourself. It’s full of lots of little tips and tricks to make life just that little bit easier and get you thinking a little bit differently about how you approach it.

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How Peter McKinnon makes his YouTube videos from start to finish

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One thing that many viewers of popular YouTube channels want to know is how the people they watch create their content. Being an educational sort of chap, Peter McKinnon was more than happy to oblige. This particular “Two minute Tuesday” ended up becoming almost 16 minutes, although it’s well worth watching.

In it, Peter goes through his whole process from start to finish. From planning and shooting the footage through to the final edit, he goes through it all. He even shoots b-roll of shooting b-roll.

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Why you need to own a “Nifty Fifty” lens

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It’s such a commonly used lens that it even has its own nickname, the “Nifty Fifty”. Regardless of the brand you shoot, or the size of your sensor, a 50mm lens is one of the most versatile you can get. Whether you’re doing street photography, landscapes, portraits, or something else entirely, they can produce amazing results for very little cost.

It’s the lens Peter McKinnon recommends people buy when they ask what lens to get next. And this video he explains why. And I can’t say that I disagree. I think everybody should own a 50mm lens, no matter what other kit they have. I’ve owned one since I got my first SLR about 20 years ago, and one will forever be in my bag.

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The macro lens is the Swiss Army knife of lenses, and this is why you should own one

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Macro lenses are often seen as this weird special purpose thing, that only those interested in shooting bugs should buy. But they’re so much more than that. Photographer Peter McKinnon believes everybody should own one. In this video, Peter talks about the versatility of a macro lens. That it can be used for so much more than typical “macro” use.

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These are the 8 most essential video tips for DIY filmmakers

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As a DIY Filmaker, one’s budget is often quite tight. You’ve spent a bunch of money on your cameras lenses and lights, but now the pot is close to empty. There are so many other little things that we need to buy, and they all add up.

To help ease the wallet a little, Dave Knop (aka Knoptop) comes to the rescue. Dave has put together his list of the 8 of what he believes to be the most useful video tutorials for DIY Filmmakers. And it’s all thanks to the magic of (a broken) television!

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