A hospital-based photography project helped older people focus on their abilities and creativity, and led  to photographs that amazed their tutor, writes Anne Dempsey.

May Stephens (73) was born near the gates of Belvedere House, Mullingar, Co Westmeath but never set foot inside till June this year when she spent the day there photographing the gardens. "Growing up, the gardener at Belvedere House used to promise me cuttings and I would make him tea to remind him, but I never got any cuttings. I won the prize of a box camera at school when I was about 11 and was very interested for a while. Learning to take photographs and going to Belvedere House and the other places was just lovely," she says.

A resident at St Mary's Hospital, Mullingar, May's trip is part of a photographic initiative this summer, involving nine other residents aged from early 70s to mid-90s. To mark Positive Ageing week, organised by Age Action Ireland, their work has been on display at the Mullingar Arts Centre, entitled Taking Another Look.

St Mary's is a Health Service Executive Midland Area hospital with 118 residents, a weekly total of 200 day patients, rehabilitation and respite services. The project, funded by Westmeath VEC, is the brainchild of Mary Daly, a nurse specialising in activities and diversional therapies, who constantly looks for ways of adding stimulation and enjoyment to the community. "We have an ongoing educational programme including art and computers to give our people the same kind of opportunities as everyone else," she says.

Photographer Luke Danniells, originally from Bath, who has made his home in nearby Dysart, was project tutor. "We began with three meetings where I used slides of my photographs to explain the story behind different shots, how they came to be taken. We went on to learn how to compose and frame a picture, how it should be made up of, say, one-third foreground, two-thirds sky, or other combinations of thirds to give it depth."

Each participant had their own disposable camera capable of taking 36 photographs, donated by Weir's, a local pharmacy. "These cameras have one focal length, no interchangeable lenses, no F stops - you point and click, which meant that my lessons were mainly about composition. They can't offer a close-up, so the group would have to be aware of the wider landscape in anything they wanted to capture," says Danniells.

As well as the field trip to Belvedere House, during June and July the group visited Lake Derravaragh and Loughs Owel and Ennell, spending the day picnicking by the lake and taking their photographs. "The outings themselves were valuable. One evening we saw people bringing home the turf, we stopped and they smelt the sods of turf, a smell they know so well," says Daly.

When all the pictures were taken, Danniells did an original edit. "I was absolutely amazed at their quality. Some of these people had never held a camera before in their lives, I was worried that the images would be blurry, because you would have seen some hands shaking as they raised the camera. This was unfounded, and they had obviously steadied and held to take the shot. I also realised how well they listened and absorbed what they were told. I am currently working with two other groups, both younger, and the result have not been half as good. I've been knocked out."

He created a projected show of the pictures which was shown to the residents before each received their own processed photographs. "That was a great day, and we are only sorry that we did not take their pictures as they looked at their works. They were all out on the table, remembering the day, discussing the pictures, showing them to each other, a lovely interaction," says Mary Daly.

The photographs include vibrant and beautiful flower studies, pictures of lake and sky shot through grasses, garden shots with lovely depth of light and shade, shots skilfully framed with foreground interest, and portraits of each other, variously evoking feelings of well-being, friendship and space.

William Tighe (87) came to St Mary's earlier this year. "My wife died 11 years ago and it got that I wasn't able to look after myself. I found it hard to settle down initially but the photography really helped. It makes you look, it's been my baptism, I'd love to do more," he says.

Michael Ward, a quiet, long-term resident in his 70s who has taken some of the prettiest flower studies in the group, said he loved being involved.

Annie McCormack (80) has been in St Mary's since a stroke meant she could no longer care for herself six years ago, says smiling that she took a photograph of "the boss", nodding at Danniells, and another of Mary Daly when she wasn't looking. Two other participants, 92-year-old Nancy Tyrrell and 84-year-old Patricia Duignan, were indisposed for The Irish Times visit, but sent down vigorous messages to say how wonderful they felt about what they achieved when they saw their own pictures on screen.

Mary Daly says the learning has not all been one way. "It can be a constant challenge to staff working with older residents to hold on to a mindset which recognises their abilities and creativity. I think this project has helped us see them in a different light, as well as helping to restore their own confidence."

She is planning - and seeking funding for - a larger project to involve both residents and day patients. Called Special Places, the aim is to bring people to the special places in their own lives - a local beauty spot, their own home, garden, village street - to have them photograph it in colour, and in turn be photographed there by Luke Danniells in black and white, creating an interplay between person and place.

• Taking Another Look shows at St Mary's Hospital, Mullingar, from tomorrow