Garden of the Gods

Just minutes outside of Colorado Springs you can find a simply amazing place to pull out your camera and spend a day shooting photographs.  The Garden of the Gods is a small but beautiful Park, easy to navigate and full of amazing red sandstone rock formations that make you feel like you're on another planet.

The entire Park can be seen by foot if you don't mind a couple miles of walking, or you can park in any of the many roadside lots to make your jaunts even shorter.  There are great formations to seek out all over.  Don't get sidetracked just by the large towers which dominate the area.  Be sure to search out smaller yet interesting formations.  Balancing rocks, "windows" that act as perfect framing for the giant Pikes Peak which looms above you to the West.  Pikes Peak will add some real nice accent to your photos most of the year with it's white snow caps.  Only during July, August and Sept will the top be bald of snow.  The contrast of hot red sandstone, looking like mars with snow capped mountains in the background makes for stunning photos.

As with most landscape photography, you will want to get there for dawn if you want the really good light.  Shoot West to get the East sides of the rocks glowing in the morning sun.  If you come late and miss the sweet light don't worry.  It's still great photography here and you will probably be treated to some rock climbers scaling the red towers.  These action adventure photos are really fun.  Bring a good telephoto for those or all you'll see is specs on a rock.