I just had a look at the stats for the website for the first time and it seems that since the new site was launched last year I’ve had nearly a quarter of a million page views!! I’ve no idea how if this is good or bad compared to others but it sounds like a lot!

To be honest, I just concentrate on putting great images up and I know from the feedback I get from clients and other photographers that many of you enjoy reading my thoughts here on this blog too.

The blog stats are of the same order – apparently, I receive around 200-300 page views per day. Most of my visitors come from the UK and Ireland with the rest coming from the USA, Canada and elsewhere in Europe (mostly France). I’d say that mirrors where most of my clients are from (or currently live).

This week I’ve been very busy shooting a beautiful Tuesday wedding here in Northern Ireland, catching up with last weeks post production and on making plans for a new studio space. I also managed to catch the fantastic Steve McCurry exhibition at the Gallery of Photography in Dublin – highly recommended if you are in Dublin over the next few days – catch it before it finishes on Apr 24th!

Corrina has taken her first steps!

She just loves running (if you hold her little hands in your big hands). So last Sunday morning we took her down to the Marine Promenade in Carrickfergus for a stroll.

Could she walk it to the Castle?

Nearly!

Then she fell asleep all contented in the late morning sun.

The first time I visited Paris was only the third time I’d met Caroline. I remember it was in the autumn and I had caught the Eurostar from London on a Friday.

Needless to say, love was in the air and every time I go back now I always think of that first visit. To me, the city is always in monochrome and how I wish I had some photographs of the moment I stepped off the train at the Gare du Nord to see Caroline waiting at the end of the platform.

That’s the thing with photographs in your head – you only appreciate their true significance (or absence) after the event. Who was to know we’d later marry? Well – I might have had a sneaking suspicion but, don’t tell anyone – ok?

The other thing I get when I visit Paris is the music of Jeff Buckley ringing in my ears, particularly the song ‘Je N’En Connais Pas La Fin from the Live At Sin-É EP – it’s just such a beautiful song.

Anyway, here’s a few photographs taken with my Hasselblad XPan panoramic camera. If you have a big screen you can see them (and more of my personal work) in all their glory over on dylanmcburney.net

January is supposed to be a quiet month but it’s been pretty manic since I got back into the studio last week. I’ve already booked another couple of fantastic weddings and I’m really excited for the coming year.

As of today though – I’m off! Tomorrow I’ll be Paris bound and I will be photographing there for the next few days. I’ll then be heading down to the west coast of France for some time off with the girls.

The studio will be closed until 24th January – you can still reach me on email although it may take me a few days to reply.

Many thanks,

Dylan

Just a quick one to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Last week I had the privilege of photographing Mike and Lynda’s wedding just a couple of days before Christmas. Mike, Lynda and I all went to school together so this one was a real treat for me. Here’s a rare photograph of yours truly with the coolest cat from class 5B.

I’ll be blogging my favourite pictures from their wedding next week – it’s going to be a hard task whittling down my selections for this one! :)

Amazing! Where did the year go?

Caroline and I are in Ireland this Christmas and although I still have a few more weddings left to shoot the studio is now closed. We’ll be back in the office proper on Wednesday 5th January.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has sent us wishes and presents for Corrina’s first birthday (and her second Christmas) and to wish all of my clients and readers of this blog a very happy Christmas and New Year.

See you all in 2011 (very soon).

Cheers

Dylan

PS – Here’s a few of Corrina contemplating the snow with her Mummy!

What a great weekend I’ve just had. The nature of my work means that from time to time I have to be away from my girls for days at a time. The hardest times were probably the weddings I covered in Barcelona and Cyprus earlier this year. Fabulous weddings – but still tough being away from the girls.

This past weekend, it was again hard being away from Corrina but all of that was made up by the welcome she gave me as I walked in the door last night. Kids have that uncanny ability to completely lift you up and make you dance just when you think all of your energy has gone.

I had a great few days though – I got to meet some old clients, talk with some familiar faces and old friends from years back. I also bumped into a few of my future brides for next year too.

And then to top it all off – last night, after Corrina was safely tucked up in bed, I managed to get back into Belfast for the Mudhoney gig. Now, for the uninitiated amongst you ;) Mudhoney were one of the big four from Seattle who (along with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam) in the early 90′s forged what those of us of a certain vintage know and love as ‘grunge’.

Mudhoney were great – walking on stage to no introduction, fanfare or even a light show they played without gimmicks or fancy tricks – just great great music and several hundred of us revelling in the moment.

What a night!