The Three Brothers

The Three Brothers a trio of tall, narrow old houses squeezed shoulder to shoulder on a quiet cobbled lane in the heart of Riga's Old Town. Each of the three have a distinct charm of their own with a white one, a yellow one, and a green one, all topped with a uniquely shaped roof line. With the oldest brother, the white one, dating back to the 1490's and the youngest brother, the green one, to the late 1600s, together they form the oldest row of homes in the city. Lined up in a single photograph they show the passing of hundreds of years. Because the street is tight you cannot back up very far, so a slightly wide lens, somewhere around 24 to 35mm, will fit all three together in one frame. Plus, the houses sit on a lane of worn cobbles that makes a perfect receding line. The narrow street keeps the fronts in soft shade for much of the day that keeps the colours rich and even. An overcast sky is close to the perfect light and early morning lets you have the whole area pretty much to yourself before the walking tours arrive. It costs nothing to photograph the outside and the lane is pedestrian only with no traffic to dodge. The houses are now home to the Latvian Museum of Architecture, so photographing the inside revolves around limited weekday hours and a small entrance fee. (Riga, Vidzeme, Latvia)