Amplify Young People At The Patrician Youth Centre Captures Community Spirit Through Photography Project
Participants from the Amplify programme in partnership with Patrician Youth Centre and Lecale Trinity Grammar, recently took part in a community, photography project led by local photographer Jim Masson, giving young people the opportunity to develop new skills while capturing images around the town.
Throughout the project, participants learned how to use cameras safely and responsibly, explored the importance of exposure and composition, and discussed the need to always seek permission before photographing members of the public.
Reflecting on the experience, one young person said: “We were happy to see ASDA rebuilding a new store after the floods because the temporary store doesn’t have the same wide range to offer. The store should be complete by Spring 2026.
Another participant said: “It was just really nice to be part of a photography project and meeting people out and about. But it was clear the general public are excited to see ASDA bouncing back from the terrrible floods in 2023..”
A third participant added: “Out with the old and in with the new. This is an exciting time for Downpatrick and itmaybe even will create more jobs than in the previous store.”
A fourth young person involved in the project said the experience had helped build confidence and encouraged them to look at their local community in a different way, while also highlighting the optimism many residents feel about the town’s future recovery and regeneration.
The pupils on this special programme embracing looking at their community through the eye of the camera had two sessions with Jim Masson, Downpatrick-based photographer to get them up to speed.
The first session involved familiarisation with working with digital cameras. Photographer Jim Masson said: “It was a pleasure to introduce the pupils to photography. It’s a huge subject and we spent the first session familiarising with the basic controls on the camera that each pupil had.
“Once we had done that, we then looked at the fundamentals of composure and how to take a good photo. The pupils were very enthusiastic and creative and enjoyed the session.
“We then went on a visit on a later day to the temporary ASDA store in Downpatrick and were guided round by a manager. The pupils took some product and scene shots inside and then went up on a platform to overlook the cleared site ready to be built on.
“Overall the pupils learned that photography is about using a camera, often about social people skills, and down the line they may probably be introduced to editing software to enhance their photo presentations.
“It was a pleasure working with them all, and I hope they learned something useful from the two short sessions.”
