Background

Patrick Kornak has been working as a photographer since the age of 12 when he was a team photographer for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Two years later he added the Calgary Boomers of the North American Soccer League to his shooting list. His work appeared in the official programs of both leagues and the teams media guide. He photographed the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League in their second season in Calgary for four years. His images appeared in Hockey Illustrated and The Hockey News on numerous occasions.

Patrick moved in to sports reporting and management in the early 80’s after working with SAIT’s student newspaper The Emery Weal as Assistant Photo Director and Photo Director. He took over the reporting and photography of the SAIT Trojan Basketball team in 1983 and in 1984 became the teams General Manager. His responsibilities included reporting to all local and national media, fund-raising, game day operations, travel arrangements, and tournament organization. He was part of five provincial championship teams and won a national title in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association in 1996.

In 1988 Patrick was hired as the Director of Public Relations for the Calgary 88’s of the World Basketball League. His duties included game day operations in the Olympic Saddledome, gathering and compiling of statistics, media relations, setting up public appearances, over seeing team publications, and reporting to the league office. Although he was only with the team for it’s inaugural season he was a key component in creating an organization that was considered to be as well run as any National Basketball League team. ESPN complemented Patrick for compiling a statistics list that was more comprehensive then they had ever received before at the league "Four on the Floor" championships in Las Vegas. He left the team in January of 1989 to pursue other options having felt he had accomplished all he could at this level.

In 1989 Patrick embarked on an eight month around the world tour. The trip was highlighted by Patrick being in the centre of four earthquakes on three continents. The biggest was the San Francisco quake of Oct. 15. Patrick rediscovered his passion for photography on this trip as he traveled through Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Europe.

Upon returning home he applied for the Alberta College of Art and Design and was accepted for the fall of 1992. His entry portfolio was in the top ten of some 400 submitted. During his time at the art college he still found time to get involved in the local community joining the Calgary Photographic Society, the Alberta Professional Photographers Association, the Professional Photographers of Canada and founding the Calgary Slide Shooters. He was also an Uncle at Large for two years. Patrick received the Bob Ranson Memorial Scholarship and the Board of Governors award as the top student in the photographic arts program.

After graduating from ACAD he went to work sharing a studio with another photographer before striking out with a group of classmates to found The Red Door Studios. He now manages the 2000 square foot studio which consists of approx 1200 sq. ft. of shooting area, consultation room/gallery, color and black & white darkrooms, and a production area for dry mounting and framing.

Patrick was very active in both professional associations. He has served on the APPA’s central branch executive and has served as Chairman and as newsletter editor. He has sat on Federal Council of the Professional Photographers of Canada and is on the provincial executive and is the co-ordinator of the student program for Alberta. He has received his accreditation in the area of Sports, General Portraiture, B&W Nude Female Portraiture, Figure Study and Pictorial. He has had prints accepted in both provincial and national print salons, has received three judges choice ribbons, an honourable mention ribbon, two merit ribbons and two "Best in Class" awards for figure study. He received his "Craftsman of Photographic Arts" degree at the Professional Photographers of Canada convention in Edmonton, Alberta in September 2001.

Patrick also offers seminars to aspiring photographers. He is a professor of photography at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology .

Through his involvement at the Point Studios and Art Gallery, where he operated the Red Door Studio for seven years, Patrick has been instrumental in the founding of the Calgary Point of Art Society.  He is the Past-President of the society .

Patrick is now a father of two boy's, Cool and Luke, and husband to Lysamma.  Patrick’s work can be found in private collections and in the homes of many satisfied clients. He is an enthusiastic and out going photographer whose laid back style puts his clients at ease.