I haven’t been online much this past couple of weeks, and it’s been nice to relax and not blog for a bit, I imagine the coming weeks will look pretty similar.

Another year is drawing to a close, and a new one about to start. I enjoyed 2009, it was the start of some major changes to my life, and this will continue into 2010, I graduated, and got a job, the start of growing up.

Some of the highlights from my year,

• Enjoying time with friends in Stockholm
• Lots of new opportunities in photography
• Banter at Alton Towers with Lori
• Seeing U2 live in Dublin
• Graduating, and getting a 1st
• Starting a new job
• Visiting Oxford with friends
• Getting and decorating an apartment (which I move into in a few weeks with my soon to be wife)

I am really looking forward to 2010, I will be getting married at the start of the year, so it will be a year of firsts, and of new experiences. Also keep an eye out for my new photography website in the coming days.

I hope you all have a good New Year, see you in 2010.

My Favourite Photo of the Year - Portstewart

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Robert Burns

I am a fan of most Disney-Pixar films. I saw the trailer for Up a while ago, and immediately thought it looked excellent. Earlier this week I headed with a few friends to see it in 3D. I was definitely not let down, and the film was even better than I anticipated.

In my opinion it is one of the best movies Disney Pixar has made. The animation is brilliant, and the script is fantastic, it is original and very funny. I wonder how they will top this one.

If you haven’t seen Up yet, I suggest you go see it, and in 3D if you can.

Actually I did go some what crazy. I was one of the approximately 240,000 people that packed into Croke Park in Dublin this past weekend, to see the amazing U2 perform their homecoming gigs of the 360 Tour. I love U2, and I have wanted to see them live for some time, but up until this point have not managed it.

Andy, Jason, William and I headed down to Dublin yesterday, and arrived at Croke Park around about 3 o’clock. We were actually early enough to be given pit passes, which means that for my first experiece of U2 live, I was about 4 rows from the front.

The gig was absolutely brilliant. I imagine the sound may have been louder and a bit better if we were slightly further back, but it was still good where we were. The ‘Claw’ stage design was amazing, we were right in the middle of the stage with this massive structure all around us, but one of the most amazing parts was the screen. It was a massive 360 LED screen, that extended and moved up and down, it was absolutely unbelievable.

Anyway, enough rambling from me… here are some photo’s.

I should add, I was not at the gig as a photographer, just a fan. I was in the ‘Red Zone’ at the front, and these photos were taken using a Canon Ixus 750. There were however some other fans in the crowd with SLR’s, in fact I spied on Nikon D300 with battery grip and 300mm lens. How that got past security I do not know, otherwise I would have taken my proper camera with me.

Also know as the Alton Towers tune…. Alton Towers has lots of memories for me, we went there quite a lot as a family when I was younger. I haven’t been in a few years, the last time was in summer 2005.

Now it’s time to go back, I’m heading to the airport soon to fly over to Liverpool, and then head down to Stoke, will be in the park for a couple days with my fiancée, and Jason and his fiancée… very excited…