La Ren Originals

Something about macro photography is captivating and stunning. However, traditional macro lenses can be super expensive, and just not a practical investment for someone who just wants to occasional take these kind of pictures, or just as a hobby.  In this guide and a little help from digital-photography-school.com with  lessons on close-up and macro photography by Andrew S Gibson , I'm going to cover how to use a single reverse macro ring to use an 18-55mm lens as a macro. 

My birthday was on the 11th, so I made my way out to the Glades to capture the last sunset of my 28th year here on earth. I went out to the Arthur R Marshall Everglades Park here in Delray Florida and caught this sunset as a big rain cloud was coming in.

Spring is definitely here in the Northern Everglades. A couple of weeks ago I started noticing baby insects like the Black Eastern Lubber and the cries of mama and daddy alligators getting ready to mate. If you travel to the Everglades this time of year, its a good idea to keep some extra distance between you and gators, as they become more aggressive during mating season.  Their courtship process usually begins in early April, and mating occurs in May or June. Females build a mound nest of soil, vegetation, or debris and deposit an average of 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July. Incubation requires approximately 63-68 days, and hatching occurs from mid-August through early September.

I love spending my afternoons in the Everglades. I find it so relaxing at the end of the day after I pick my children up from school and we're able to take a short drive out to the glades, where thank-god they blow off some steam!