Pat St. Clair has had a career that many only dream about.
The Henrietta resident has been a commercial photographer since the late 1970s, starting his own business, St. Clair Photo-Imaging, in 1991. His craft has taken him as high as 14,500 feet — jumping while shooting 3D for Air & Space magazine — and as low as beneath the earth to shoot in underwater caves. He has shot dozens of 360-degree photos of cockpits at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, as well as space shuttle launches and astronaut training, and was a consultant for Kodak for over 25 years.
“When I was a youngster, I started seeing the world through my viewfinder,” St. Clair said. “I looked at everything as if it were a picture. It made me pay closer attention.”
Throughout his career, he has specialized in niche work.
“I always separate myself from the pack,” he said. “ ... I do what I do because it’s the right thing to do for my craft, my family, my passion.”
A new project
And now, St. Clair is looking to revolutionize the industry by developing the QuadCam. The devise — used for shooting panoramas — is essentially four cameras facing different directions attached to a rig. The cameras shoot at the same time, providing a true panorama. This is opposed to the general practice of shooting a panorama: take a shot, turn the camera, shoot again, turn, and so on, and then stitching the photos together.
“I’m looking to use this kind of presentation to change the way the world communicates,” St. Clair said. “It’s all about information distribution.”
The devise allows him to create what he calls “virtual trade show booths” — interactive shows from a trade show booth that include information about products, videos and other data. They are meant to be interactive information delivery systems, said St. Clair, and can be kept online for months, as opposed to a trade show, which only lasts for days. They can also expand beyond just one booth to include entire sections of a show.
“I’m introducing this,” said St. Clair. “Nobody else is doing this. ... This should rejuvenate trade shows.”
There are lots of other possibilities for the QuadCam, including doing home tours for homes that are on the market, said St. Clair, who is currently seeking a patent.
“Once it’s out there and known better, it will be demanded,” he said.
Pat St. Clair has had a career that many only dream about.
The Henrietta resident has been a commercial photographer since the late 1970s, starting his own business, St. Clair Photo-Imaging, in 1991. His craft has taken him as high as 14,500 feet — jumping while shooting 3D for Air & Space magazine — and as low as beneath the earth to shoot in underwater caves. He has shot dozens of 360-degree photos of cockpits at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, as well as space shuttle launches and astronaut training, and was a consultant for Kodak for over 25 years.
“When I was a youngster, I started seeing the world through my viewfinder,” St. Clair said. “I looked at everything as if it were a picture. It made me pay closer attention.”
Throughout his career, he has specialized in niche work.
“I always separate myself from the pack,” he said. “ ... I do what I do because it’s the right thing to do for my craft, my family, my passion.”
A new project
And now, St. Clair is looking to revolutionize the industry by developing the QuadCam. The devise — used for shooting panoramas — is essentially four cameras facing different directions attached to a rig. The cameras shoot at the same time, providing a true panorama. This is opposed to the general practice of shooting a panorama: take a shot, turn the camera, shoot again, turn, and so on, and then stitching the photos together.
“I’m looking to use this kind of presentation to change the way the world communicates,” St. Clair said. “It’s all about information distribution.”
The devise allows him to create what he calls “virtual trade show booths” — interactive shows from a trade show booth that include information about products, videos and other data. They are meant to be interactive information delivery systems, said St. Clair, and can be kept online for months, as opposed to a trade show, which only lasts for days. They can also expand beyond just one booth to include entire sections of a show.
“I’m introducing this,” said St. Clair. “Nobody else is doing this. ... This should rejuvenate trade shows.”
There are lots of other possibilities for the QuadCam, including doing home tours for homes that are on the market, said St. Clair, who is currently seeking a patent.
“Once it’s out there and known better, it will be demanded,” he said.
A family man
Despite his extensive career, St. Clair said his shining achievement isn’t a photograph or project he’s taken on — it’s his four children.
“The proudest thing is that my kids watch what I do,” he said. “They watch me live my life with passion. I love what I do. It’s not about money. I just love what I do. I find passion in it everyday.”
Most people, he said, don’t live their lives with as much abandon as he does, but rather follow a script that has been set for them: Go to college, get a job, get married, raise a family. That script has a purpose, he said, but it should only be the beginning.
“You need to teach your kids that script,” he said. “You need to raise them with that base. But, at some point in your life, you have to go off the road. And most people don’t.”
Looking back, he said, he has no regrets.
“Everything that has happened has contributed to where I am today — good and bad,” he said. “Therefore, there is no bad.”
