McCor had a background in creating paper crafts, and that is why combining the two mediums came naturally for him. He also wanted to do something on Instagram to stand out from other artists and professional photographers.
\\nMcCor began by sketching landmarks around London on white cards, and that soon evolved to taking photographs of the landmarks. That was how he found himself playing around with ideas. He began by changing the card color and then using it to transform the landmarks.
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McCor didn’t pick up photography by chance, and he has a degree in media. He initially wanted to get into film or TV, but he ended up settling for visual media. He wasn’t clear how he would make money out of it, but he still went for it.
\\nHe worked for the BBC at some point, and it gave him access to the lighting setup of a mostly unused studio during the weekends. He filmed little animations and started making music videos too.
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McCor says that he also gravitated towards paper because it’s an accessible medium for anyone to use. He says that you don’t have to be the greatest artist to make creations out of cardboard and paper.
\\nMcCor also explains that this medium creates some of the most beautiful visuals when photographed or filmed. It’s easy to see what he means from his creations, but his statement makes it sound like anyone can do what he does. However, his effort and skill are apparent.
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McCor had his big break around October 2015 when the Daily Mail featured him on their website. He had 4K followers at that point, and after appearing on the news site, his followers shot up to 11K.
\\nHe still considered his craft as just a hobby, and he never thought of honing his skills full-time at that point. McCor kept on working on his creations and growing his Instagram account. After all, when you keep fishing, you are bound to reel in the big fish eventually.
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McCor started getting the exploration bug when it occurred to him that he had never explored anywhere else apart from the area where he lived. He began by going over to Big Ben, where there were scores of photographers taking what was essentially the same photo.
\\nHe started asking himself what he could do differently and poured hours into research about destination photography. McCor always has his tools with him because inspiration can strike at any moment, meaning snapping his next big photo or drafting a cut-out of a new design could happen on-the-go.
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MCCor’s line of work has also enabled him to travel a lot, and he is particularly fond of Asia. He has been to Hong Kong and Singapore, where he ended up taking exciting photos and transforming them into spectacular papercrafts.
\\nMcCor explained that he found the colorful cities varied, exciting, and unpredictable. That’s what this creation symbolizes, and it reminds us how vast the world is and that there are always opportunities to explore it.
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One of the work-travel trips that McCor took saw him jetting off to Dubai to promote the Star Wars film in 2017. He worked on a concept involving the Millenium Falcon cut-out atop the Burj Al Arab helipad.
\\nHe was able to get approvals to use the space thanks to his impressive social media reach. McCor came up with several creations on that trip, including one of a cut-out man scaling the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
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Like everyone else, McCor has career highlights, and he says that working with Will Smith was one of them. He says that those ten minutes were also the most stressful for him. That’s the precise amount of time he had to work with Smith in Budapest.
\\nThey were promoting the 2019 action thriller Gemini Man, and he also had to collaborate with the film’s director, Ang Lee. McCor has worked on several other film promos like the one he did for the Aquaman movie.
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When McCor is hit by the proverbial light bulb moment, it takes him about 20 minutes to draft each cut-out. He also considers it therapeutic when he is working on the delicate details.
\\nMcCor adds that the process accounts for his daily meditation. Most of his creations offer this sense of calmness. You can see the time that went into capturing the photo and making sure that the paper cut-out merges harmoniously with the image.
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McCor explained what happened when he broke the news to his parents that he wanted to focus on his photography artistry. It meant quitting his BBC job, and naturally, his family was nervous. He had already been shaping up his craft for ten months, and he was sure he wanted to go into it full time.
\\nIt was in 2016, and according to McCor, earning from social media was still a relatively new concept for most people. That’s even truer when talking about his creations; it was something we didn’t see a lot, but we have now grown to appreciate his artistry.
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McCor’s family eventually came around to appreciate his work more and more. He says that being featured in several prominent publications probably had something to do with it. McCor particularly loved showing his grandmother his work.
\\nIt’s easy to appreciate that some of his works portray women going about different activities of everyday life. One of the heartwarming female-centered images he has on his page is this one of a young girl receiving a gift.
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McCor particularly likes some of the content he created for the NFL. He made one with a football player grabbing at City Hall, and he says that it is one of his favorites. McCor visited the location three times until he spotted the perfect vantage point to create the illusion.
\\nRight from when he snapped the photo, he knew how it would turn out. What better way to pay ode to the American sport than portraying a touchdown?
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McCor initially avoided meeting up with other photographers because he felt that he was somewhat of a fraud. His thought process was that he wasn’t exactly a photographer, and he also didn’t want to hold any Insta-meetups.
\\nHe eventually started joining these meetups, and he says that he’s also received massive support as well as advice from them. This creation sums it all up: sometimes, you just need a helping hand to fix your mustache and hold your head up high.
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McCor believes that he has come a long way, as evident from his past posts. He says that some were poor quality, and he can’t believe that he posted them. McCor says that he kept learning, and he is still at it working to improve his craft.
\\nThis was one of his first posts on his Instagram account, and again, we think he is being hard on himself. It’s a thought-provoking piece, and it shows where he started.
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Most people might wonder how McCor puts food on the table and if his craft pays. He does brand collaborations, and for such creations, he says that he has to take his time to make sure that they resonate with his audience.
\\nHe says that a good piece is one that is clever/creative, and that is when they have the chance to become more successful. Take this creation; who doesn’t know that Homer Simpson loves donuts? Now we want some donuts too!
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McCor compiled some of his best creations and included them in his first book. Around The World In Cut-Outs is the book, and it also includes specially commissioned images that he has created.
\\nHe released the book in 2018 and he has also thought about working on an interactive children’s publication with pop-ups, origami, and cutouts. The book includes similar creations to this one that McCor made out of a photo of the Azure Window.
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McCor also hosts children’s workshops regularly, and he also frequently works with adults. He introduces attendees to his craft, and the sessions also involve having them create cut-outs. They sometimes use his pre-made cut-outs and go out to their surroundings to take photos.
\\nSome of his creations have child-like fun about them, and it’s easy to see why he tries to give back by hosting children’s workshops. McCor also offers some of his cut-outs for sale to get other budding photographers started.
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Language hasn’t been a barrier when it comes to sharing his skills with children across the world. He held workshops in Korea, and while he had to have a translator on board, he recalls having so much fun.
\\nMcCor explained that when you are creatively having so much fun, the language barrier is quickly forgotten. Some of his creations resonate with kids, like the one where he transformed the Arc de Triomphe into a lego figure.
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McCor believes that the future of social media platforms like Instagram depends on content creators. However, he doesn’t think that creators should turn it into a billboard filled with sponsored posts.
\\nHe isn’t against sponsored posts, but he thinks that creators should emphasize coming up with posts that are worth their audience’s time. You can see the thoughtfulness he puts into each of his creations. McCor has to take a compelling photograph and make a paper cutout that creates a story when fused with the picture.
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It is also apparent that McCor has a profound appreciation for various landmarks around the world. He takes the time to frame the photos of these monuments artistically. McCor also goes the extra mile and accompanies his post with a writeup about the monument.
\\nOne of the striking monuments he has depicted in several of his photographs is the Statue of Liberty. It’s easy to see why this landmark has inspired several of his creations, and in one with a paper cut-out sharing the victory with the famous statue.
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McCor told the Evening Standard that he appreciates the creations that come out of frustrations. The Statue of Liberty gave him some trouble when he attempted to use a photograph of the actual monument for one of his creations, but the result was worth it.
\\nMcCor soon struck gold when he used a photo of one of these statues at the Las Vegas-based New York-New York Resort. The result was the creation of the Statue of Liberty weightlifting.
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McCor has had several of his creations make the rounds online, and it’s helped him grow his social media following. The Lego man at the Arc de Triomphe and the one of Marilyn Monroe at The Neon Museum are some of his most popular ones.
\\nAs McCor continues growing and collaborating with brands, he hopes that it won’t come across like he is selling out. That is why he emphasizes the art and keeping his audience engaged versus making creations for profit.
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McCor has also been stepping out of his comfort zone and taking risks. He knows that getting comfortable with one style is bound to get stale. The medium that has given him a platform to showcase his work also constantly needs fresh content.
\\nHe has gradually been going back to his stop-motion and animation roots. He now experiments with including animated elements into his photography. McCor knows that he eventually has to find the next big thing that will help him engage his followers.
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McCor keeps it simple with his approach right from the equipment he uses. He doesn’t consider himself a technical photographer, and he uses a Panasonic Lumix SLR. Combined with a 24-105 mm lens and a Canon wide-angle lens, he’s all set to snap beautiful photographs.
\\nHe also likes keeping his gear light for his travels, and besides a tripod, the only other thing that makes up his gear is a notepad filled with paper cut-outs.
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McCor faces challenges along the way, and it often has to do with the photography process. He has to contend with lighting and the wind, which are factors that affect the photographs he takes. He says that it just takes patience and prior planning.
\\nMcCor also pre-makes his cut-outs, but he has, on occasion, had to make on-site adjustments to make them work. He also uses textured paper, which works well with light and makes the cut-outs look even more realistic.
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McCor also doesn’t always get it right, and he has had some ideas that bombed. He would present what he believed was his best concept for brand collaborations only to have them turned down.
\\nFortunately, he would always have backups that were chosen in some instances. McCor gave an example of the cut-out photo he took of David Bowie in Berlin. He loved it, but it isn’t one of his more successful creations.
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McCor’s favorite photos are always changing, and amongst them is one of a Dalmatian he took in Basel, Switzerland. He set the cut-out of the dog against a white and black building. He had second-guessed it for a moment, but it worked.
\\nMcCor also found the process of making the cut-out creation a roller coaster, and the payoff was the successful photo. Best still was the fact that he got to make another canine cut-out as an ode for his love for dogs.
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\\nGoing forward, McCor has toyed with the idea of adding some pops of color to his creations. He is also still working on more animated elements that he regularly shares on his Instagram account. He explains that it’s exciting for him to see his paper cut-outs spring to life.
Most importantly, McCor keeps working on his paper cut-out creations. He always has something new for his followers, and it’s always fascinating to see what he comes up with next.
\\n\"],\"title\":\"Light, Shadow & Paper: The Magical Crafts of Instagram Star Paperboyo\",\"date\":\"2020-06-15T12:19:44\"}"; var omg_ads = JSON.parse(decodeHtml(omg_ads_string)); } catch (e) { var omg_ads = JSON.parse(omg_ads_string); }