Fleeting Moments in Life Never Repeating

“What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”   ― Karl Lagerfeld

As much as I enjoy painting, photography is one of my favorite things to do.  Not because I have to collect enough images for my original art, also I think digital media gives us more creative space, with such a wide range of tools available for self-expression, we should update our skills, and be creative as much as possible.  So get your camera ready.


During shopping time, I carry my camera sometimes too.  I asked this young lady if I could capture a photo of this cute puppy Chihuahua in her hand, of course she was happy and I was able to keep this lovely photo.

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I was looking for a laundromat when I traveled in Mexico.  These two dogs suddenly were running in front me.  I captured their adventure by holding my camera with one hand, the other hand was still carrying my dirty laundry...

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Sometime we might not capture the subjects we planned to.  Weather could be one of the issues, or there might not be the perfect light or shadows to contrast the subject.  Timing and environment could effect the result too... many times I've found it really depends on one's luck.


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I know that I have missed so many amazing moments which I would have captured if possible. For that reason I love to have my camera handy.  It doesn't mean that we have to leave where we live either; some lucky moment could be just nearby in our daily life, really!  They do not have to be just the perfect timing capture or a challenging shot.  They might be the little details which many of us would rarely pay attention to but which make an image interesting and unique. Remember that the fleeting moment in life is rarely repeating, so keep your camera handy.

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For example, I wanted to photograph this Swallowtail Butterfly for over a year.  Though she flies around our neighborhood, I never saw her rest.  Maybe I didn't have the plant she liked.  One day, after I taking photos of my paintings outdoors, I thought I should bring the garbage bin and recycle bin back in from the front street, so I didn't have to have another trip later.  Before I pulled in the bins, I saw this butterfly just landing on a plant nearby the street.  Very lucky I had my camera with me, and I captured this beautiful insect which I wanted for so long.  Of course, the background was not pretty, I was able to fix it with one of my favorite softwares - Adobe PhotoShop CS5.

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The photo above was taken at a local pet store.  It inspired me to think out of the box(es) being an artist. Hope every artist can get the same inspiration:-)!

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In one exiting moment I saw and immediately snapped this photo of a bird carrying food while walking on waterlily petals, when I was in a boat near Rio Dulce in Guatemala. I did research that this bird names as jacana.

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One day while exploring a beach of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, a very pretty topless village girl suddenly jumped in front of my camera and surprised me with her big sweet smile...

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It was so interesting what I saw nearby where I live! I had to capture it and share with everyone, again I had my camera handy during a lunch walk.

I have photographed many photos, and will keep posting them to share with others.  Please visit my online galleries at: http://xueling-zou.artistwebsites.com/galleries.html

Original Art Story

Plein Air @ Santa Clara University Santa Clara CA

Portrait and figurative studies of a model

Plein Air @ Orchard Heritage Park Sunnyvale CA 加州風景寫生

Plein Air @ Chris' Farm in Campbell CA 加州風景寫生

Plein Air @ Ed Levin County Park, Milpitas CA

Sketching @ Apple Park Cupertino CA