N Waggerman Photos • Travel + Landscape

Sunlight & Stone: Photographing Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs, Colorado • A bright, sunny day among red rock giants

There are places that make you feel small in the best possible way.

Garden of the Gods is one of them.

The first time I stood in front of those massive red rock formations, camera in hand, bright Colorado sun overhead, I had that familiar photographer feeling — awe mixed with the urge to document everything before the light changes.

And the light does change fast out there.

Midday Sun That Actually Works

As photographers, we’re trained to avoid harsh midday light like it’s a personal attack. But in Garden of the Gods? That bright, high sun is part of what makes the place look the way it does.

The red sandstone practically glows. The contrast between the rocks and that unreal blue Colorado sky is something you can’t fake in post. The shadows carve depth into the formations, and suddenly those giant structures look even more sculptural.

Instead of fighting the light, I leaned into it:

• Keep ISO low to preserve clean detail
• Slightly underexpose to protect the sky highlights
• Use a polarizer to deepen the blue and reduce glare
• Stop down for texture and sharpness across the frame

This isn’t soft, dreamy light. This is bold, graphic, high-contrast light — and it’s perfect for landscapes.

Scale Is Everything

One of the biggest challenges photographing Garden of the Gods is scale. Photos don’t automatically show how massive those formations are.

So I started looking for ways to give the viewer a reference point:

• Include tiny hikers at the base of the rocks
• Frame trees against the formations
• Shoot low and wide to exaggerate height

Getting low to the ground made the rocks feel even more towering — and yes, I absolutely had red dirt on my knees by the end of it. Worth it.

Textures, Layers, and Leading Lines

What surprised me most wasn’t just the iconic formations — it was the details.

The striations in the sandstone. The way the paths curve through the landscape. The layers of rock overlapping each other.

Everywhere I turned there were natural leading lines pulling my eye through the frame. It’s one of those locations where composition almost builds itself if you slow down enough to see it.

A Mom Moment in the Middle of a National Landmark

Traveling as a photographer and as a mom means I’m always balancing two modes: one eye on the light, one eye on my kids.

There were moments I was lining up a shot while also answering questions about snacks and sunscreen. And honestly? That’s part of my photography story. My work isn’t created in isolation — it’s created in real life, with movement, noise, and love in the background.

Color That Doesn’t Need Help

From an editing standpoint, Garden of the Gods is a gift. You don’t need heavy color grading — if anything, the goal is restraint:

• Keep the reds natural and believable
• Don’t oversaturate the sky
• Preserve highlight detail on the rock faces
• Lift shadows gently without flattening contrast

When a place already looks unreal in real life, your job is to not overdo it.

Why This Place Stays With You

Garden of the Gods isn’t just visually impressive — it’s grounding. It’s the kind of place that reminds you how old the earth is, how small your daily stressors are, and how lucky you are to stand somewhere so beautiful with a camera in your hands.

As someone who spends a lot of time photographing people and telling their stories, this was a different kind of storytelling — one about time, geology, light, and space.

No posing. No direction. Just patience and perspective.

If You Go (Photographer Notes)

• Midday is usable — expose carefully and protect highlights
• Bring a polarizer if you have one
• Shoot wide for scale, then zoom in for textures
• Look for people/trees to show size
• Don’t forget to put the camera down for a minute and just look

N Waggerman Photos
Wildlife • Macro • Landscapes • Places That Make You Pause

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