A month or so ago I photographed a family.  While I was setting up I asked one of their daughters to sit on the couch I was using so I could adjust the lights.  When I was processing their images I was intrigued by the test image of her.  Today I had the family bring her over so I could do a self assignment.  I spent a couple of hours experimenting with lighting.  I spent some time giving her older sister some pointers on photography and let her trip the camera for me while my youngest daughter helped with various duties.  I was trying to get an old world painter look and I thought I would share some of the results.  She was very patient with me for the two hours.  I would have liked to spend more time, but I was able to get a couple of nice images.  I want Ted York Photography to be known for classic artistic portraits.    Before they left I asked the older daughter what she had learned.  Her answer was perfect – “It’s all about the light.”  Of course there is a lot more to photography, but understanding light and its qualities is paramount to achieving a good image.  I’ve heard all the arguments about whether photography is art or not.  But even the painters used the Camera Obscura to create their portraits.  I just capture mine in a different way.  But one thing good portrait photographers and painters have in common is the need to understand light.  In photography it is all about the light.