Like the soaring seabirds in her colorful artwork, award-winning photographer Michele Loftus-Trzcinski has spread her wings since arriving in Florida. The Massachusetts native enjoys not only photography but also drawing in pen, ink and graphite, and painting in oils and acrylic.
“I always use my own photographs for anything I paint or draw,” she shares.
Loftus-Trzcinski’s decades-long passion for photography began as a young woman in the U.S. Navy stationed at the Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. In 1979, she wasn’t just unusual as a photographer but also as a woman at a time when men made up nearly 95 percent of individuals in the armed forces.
“We were outnumbered to say the least! There were restrictions; there was no sea duty for women. I worked in conjunction with the publicity office in a dark room developing photos. And that’s where I caught a little bit of the bug,” she says.
That photography bug continued to bite Loftus-Trzcinski during her nine years on active duty and three years as a reservist.
Later, as a young mother in Massachusetts, her appreciation for photography continued to blossom, especially after her husband Ron gave her a 33mm Canon one Christmas. From there, she had all the tools she needed to start her own photography business while also capturing pictures of her children’s school events.
“My daughter, Leigh, was a star athlete who played softball, basketball and ran cross country. I enjoyed shooting her sports races and events and other sports photography in town.”
Unlike many artists, who veer off onto other career paths to earn a salary, Loftus-Trzcinski made a living from her art, serving as an independent photographer for more than 30 years.
When not snapping photos of a varsity game, Loftus-Trzcinski worked on color correcting and retouching by day, including the art of antique photograph restoration. In the evening, she imparted these skills to students in the local adult school.
“I taught classes in Adobe Photoshop at night school in Worcester near my hometown of Pittsfield in the Berkshires. I also taught photography classes at the Worcester Art Museum,” she says.
At the end of 2018, their children now grown, Loftus-Trzcinski and her husband moved to Florida and purchased a home. Today, her kitchen table doubles as a drafting table, a testament to the many years she spent in the professional art world.
Since the move, she has been laser-focused on the Sunshine State and says that she is not currently interested in traveling to shoot other regions of the country or the world, at least for now.
“We haven’t explored all of Florida yet. It’s such an expansive state,” says Loftus-Trzcinski, who prefers now to travel locally, photographing birds, dolphins and “all kinds of wildlife.”
“I took a river trip in Ocala and photographed wild monkeys. I also photographed the ospreys during nesting season. There were hundreds with their babies! The ospreys were really fun to photograph.”
In addition to wildlife art, which has led her on treks through the Orlando Wetlands and Merritt Island, Loftus-Trzcinski likes to capture ocean scenes.
“I love breaking waves and storms that are approaching,” the artist says.
Her love of the sea, and children, recently inspired Loftus-Trzcinski to volunteer as an art teacher at Sebastian Elementary School.
“We’re working on a huge mural of sea turtles and sea grass. We’re teaching the students how to paint and they’re doing the painting,” she explains.
“It’s something new for me. I had never worked on a mural before.”
The endeavor fits in well with Loftus-Trzcinski’s interest in protecting the waterways of Florida.
As a volunteer Citizen Scientist with the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA) in Vero Beach, she is proud to assist with their pollution mapping project.
“We monitor the Indian River Lagoon up and down the coast, collecting data to pinpoint where the pollution is coming from.”
Other protected wildlife, such as the Florida panther, also have places in her work, and viewers may even glimpse one of those rare Florida panthers or not-so-local lions and tigers in her graphite series of big cats.
Her authentic approach has earned Loftus-Trzcinski numerous awards, including a First Place in the 2020 Pelican Island Conservation Society Show for her photograph of a majestic “Great Egret in Flight” and a Second Place award in the same show for her in-motion photograph of roseate spoonbills, titled “Glory Wings.”
She served as president of the Sebastian River Art Club during the time of the Vero Beach Museum of Art’s Treasure Coast Creates exhibition. She exhibited her own digital creation in that exhibition, “Floral Impressions,” a canvas print with ultra-vibrant shades of teal, magenta and aquamarine that effectively draws the eye.
Loftus-Trzcinski is a member of the Isola Arts group, so aficionados can view the works of this multimedia artist at the monthly Waldo’s Secret Art Walk art and antique sale at Waldo’s Secret Garden.
“As I get older, I’m less interested in competition,” she reveals. “I like to exhibit just for the sake of exhibiting.”
Photos by Joshua Kodis
