Youtube was a new frontier, only a few years in its infancy when the original TCSTV youtube channel crew, Jordan Drake and Chris Niccolls, set up a shoot to capture The Battle at F-Stop Ridge. Several of The Camera Store’s staff went out with a huge assortment of gear to stage a ‘camera war’ commercial. At the time, the store was closed, and the store owners were unaware of what transpired in a local park.
The one-minute video that resulted would go viral, beating the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce for a day or two. Not only was it a video hit, but it also set the stage for the dynamic duo Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake to grow a successful camera review YouTube channel.
The chase to create another viral video was exciting, yet not fruitful. At least not in the way the pair originally expected or hoped. The production quality on The Battle at F-Stop Ridge 2, as well as another concept titled World Photo Games improved dramatically. But, they simply did not have the same je ne sais quoi factor as the original battle video.
That being said, the impact of the video was a huge deal for the channel. It propelled Jordan and Chris to new heights, with respect and recognition around the world. Camera brands began recognizing the value of putting their latest products in the hands of The Camera Store’s reviewers. TCSTV continued to grow and improve drastically in terms of production quality and showmanship.
In the spring of 2018, the camera review website DPReview invited Chris & Jordan to join their team. It was a difficult decision for Jordan and Chris to leave the channel that they created and grew to over 310,000 subscribers. But, it was a move that gave them the opportunity to focus their careers on exclusively doing what they love, creating content for the photography and videography community.
They left TCSTV in the hands of Jordan’s wife Evelyn Drake and her co-host Dave Paul with appearances from other TCS staff and local photographers. They continue to produce camera reviews and photographer features on the channel that currently has over 335,000 subscribers and 68-million views. Click here to watch and subscribe.
