IT WAS lights, camera, action for eight-year-old Mabel Hetherington last week, whose love of photography has earned her a top prize in the Down’s Syndrome Association’s ‘My Perspective Awards’ 2025.
The Irvinestown Primary School pupil travelled to London last Thursday to collect the People’s Choice Award in the child category, which was voted for by members of the public.
Her winning photo, ‘My Happy Mummy’, shows her mum Elaine’s smiling, windswept face on a sunny day at Rossnowlagh Beach in County Donegal.
Mabel’s mum, Elaine, said the theme couldn’t be more fitting. “Mabel loves taking pictures wherever we go,” she said. “Whether we’re out for a walk or just out and about, she’ll grab someone’s phone and start snapping.
“Every photo Mabel takes is from her point of view, whether she’s looking up at someone or capturing the world from her own height. It’s beautiful to see the world through her eyes.”
The award ceremony took place at the Normansfield Theatre in London’s Langdon Down Centre, where Mabel was joined by her proud parents.
Elaine said, “We’re absolutely delighted that this little lady from a small county in Northern Ireland has got this public recognition for her photograph against competition from around the world.
“Everyone in our community got behind her and we got votes from as far away as Australia. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone for making Mabel one happy little girl.”
The My Perspective Awards is an international photography competition for people with Down’s syndrome.
Since 2010, it has celebrated outstanding images from photographers across the globe, giving them a platform to show the world through their own unique lens.
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