Garden of Light – Málaga Botanical Gardens

The botanical gardens in Málaga were on my list before we arrived. With the city baking in the midday sun, it felt like the perfect place to wander somewhere cooler — shaded paths, tall palms, and a slower pace.

At first though, I wasn’t really tuned in. We headed straight to the lake and then climbed the big hill up to the classic viewpoint — the one with the dome and the water in front. It’s the shot everyone takes, and for good reason. But like anywhere Instagram-famous, people kept drifting into frame, breaking the spell.

So dropping back down into the gardens felt like the complete opposite. Suddenly there was space, shade, and time to yourself. That’s when I started to notice the light.

Midday sun isn’t usually kind to photography — it flattens everything out, harsh and unforgiving. But here the trees broke it apart, scattering brightness through gaps and leaving heavy shadows in between. It created depth and contrast, shapes and patterns that shifted as you walked. I realised I didn’t need to fight it. If I exposed for the highlights and let the shadows go dark, the images had more drama, more atmosphere.

I stopped looking for big subjects and started watching how the light transformed the ordinary. A barred window, a palm frond, a fallen leaf on stone — simple things that came alive because of how the light touched them. When conditions are strong like that, simplifying the frame and letting the light take the lead is often all you need.

While the rest of the group were sat outside enjoying a drink in the sun — happy, relaxed, and taking a well-earned break — I couldn’t resist heading back in for a few more frames. The gardens had me hooked, and I slipped back into that rhythm of walking, noticing, adjusting, shooting. It felt great to lose myself in it.

By the end, I realised I hadn’t really been photographing plants at all. What I was chasing was the light itself — the way it carved shapes, revealed textures, and gave the place its character. And it reminded me of something important: you don’t always need golden hour. Sometimes the so-called “worst” light of the day can give you the most surprising results, if you let it.