In the photos, the tall, geometric figure reflects the rocky desert and perfectly aligns with the horizon.

Ummmmm, that’s the photographer that did that. 🙄

…the department wrote alongside photos of the column. In the photos, the tall, geometric figure reflects the rocky desert and perfectly aligns with the horizon.

Not sure how you would prefer that be phrased? Also, if you can reasonably see the horizon aligned with its reflection, that suggests something to the reader about how it’s more or less perpendicular to the ground, rather than slanted (cone/pyramid/etc.).