Christ the Redeemer is seen from the Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) during sunrise in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 4, 2016. Rio de Janeiro is a marvel and a mess all at once. When it hosts the first ever Olympics in South America, starting Aug. 5, visitors will see a city whose stunning topography – stark, verdant mountains loom over packed and playful beaches – competes only with the drama of daily life here. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

Light is the sole reason why life exists. It provides us with warmth; it allows us to see; it nourishes all the living things on this planet. Many painters, especially the masters of Old Renaissance Period, have recognized the importance of light and its intimate connection with nature and life itself. In their paintings they gave tribute to light, giving the impression that their paintings had a light source hidden within them. Al Hogue, the artist who created the paintings that you see before you, has studied their techniques for many years. As time went by, light permeated not only his paintings by also his life, becoming his sole philosophy.

Pine trees are seen after a forest fire near Sao Pedro do Sul, Portugal August 14, 2016. Deadly wildfires raging for two weeks in Portugal have destroyed a wooded area the size of 100,000 soccer fields, and the small Iberian nation alone accounts for half of all forests burned in the European Union this year. (Photo by Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

Tracy Sarita celebrates the sunrise during the Burning Man 2015 “Carnival of Mirrors” arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 3, 2015. Approximately 70,000 people from all over the world are gathering at the sold-out festival to spend a week in the remote desert to experience art, music and the unique community that develops. (Photo by Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A tattoo artist applying ink on a girl' s arm during the 2017 Moscow Tattoo Festival at Moscow' s Amber Plaza Shopping Center in Moscow, Russia on April 1, 2017. Tattoo artists from all over the world take part in the event. The festival' s program includes a tattoo contest, body taping art marathon, masterclasses, round table discussions and conferences. (Photo by Valery Sharifulin/TASS)

Miss Venezuela Edymar Martinez poses during the swimsuit contest during the Miss International beauty pageant in Tokyo on November 5, 2015. Martinez won the Miss International title. Representatives of 70 countries and regions from all over the world took part in the annual beauty contest. (Photo by Toru Yamanaka/AFP Photo)

Ramela Meseljevic, a 7 year-old girl born without both of her hands and one of her legs shorter than the other, writes during classes in the her school in Begov Han, Bosnia and Herzegovina December 2, 2015. International Day of Disabled Persons is observed on December 3 with the theme "Inclusion matters: access and empowerment of people of all abilities". (Photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Life as tenant farmers in Kasungu, northern Malawi, can be a struggle for families trapped in poverty, who feel forced to rely on their children’s help, impacting schooling. Here: A tobacco field at a farm in Kasungu region, Malawi. Tobacco is the country’s most important export crop, with tobacco leaf from Malawi filling cigarettes found all over the world. Here: Tiyamike Phiri hopes to become a nurse because she wants to travel the country and help others. (Photo by David Levene/The Guardian)