Retirement Living Resident Spotlight: Raymond Horsey
Raymond is a published photographer who specialises in the art of black and white photography. He has travelled all over the world during his retirement in pursuit of his photography – to Finland, Cambodia, Italy and Germany, just to name a few countries. When it comes to his photography, his inspiration often lies in the beauty of everyday observation.
“I just love photography. It was a way in which I can express my feelings in my art. It’s about creating a picture out of a subject. The process of making something beautiful,” says Raymond.
He is dedicated to his art, having even waited for two hours to photograph Gladesville Bridge so that there was no traffic on the bridge. He is also an avid painter and enjoys painting still life and in the surrealist style.
Raymond’s apartment reflects his creative personality and his pursuit of the arts, filled with antique vases, stained wooden tables, unique lampshades, and various objects collected over the years, such as crystals, a miniature figurine of Michelangelo’s David and the many cameras he has used, including his very first.
“It’s a part of Raymond, this apartment,” he says, on living at Macquarie Lodge Retirement Village. “I’ve been able to express myself more in this apartment than anywhere else before. I like that there’s a separate study where I can do my photography. You don’t hear anything else other than what’s going on in this room, there’s a quietness; a stillness. This is where I can rest, enjoy and live. It’s a beautiful and comfortable place to be.”
Raymond appreciates harmony in his living space and almost always has low volume music playing in the background. Sitting down in his living room, something is noticeably missing – a TV. The red and dark blue couch and armchairs have been laid out so that people face one another when they take a seat, encouraging conversation. The TV is hidden away in a custom-made cabinet, only to be brought out when necessary.
Having travelled around the world, Raymond’s favourite places are at home in Sydney and New South Wales. When asked about his favourite places to go to, he says, “Kanangra Walls is a beautiful place, there are majestic views. The wind rises, and the hunting birds glide along with the wind below the cliff edge. And to take a ferry trip to Manly is just beautiful.”
For the younger generation, Raymond advises “Become the person you were meant to be and accept yourself as you are. Live life on your own terms, earnestly and from the heart.”
