Grandfather of Papparazzi photographers dies in Sydney

I have copied the text and images from a news story on ninemesn.com.au rather than re-interpret the news. I was at a few functions where Peter was, he was certainly an interesting and talented photographer who will be greatly missed.

Veteran paparazzo Peter Carrette, who infamously fired a water pistol at the late Heath Ledger, has died in Sydney.

The man dubbed the "grandfather of Australian paparazzi" was discovered by a friend slumped at his desk at his home at Bondi Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

"They found him this morning - he was still at his computer," said his friend of 11 years, journalist Natalie O'Brien.

The 63-year-old Carrette had worked around the world, including Paris and New York, and is survived by a son and a daughter.

"He was just a beautiful guy," O'Brien told AAP on Monday.

"In a dog-eat-dog world, he was a very kind man."

Asked about the key to his success and long career, O'Brien said: "He knew everybody and everybody trusted him. They would come to him with information and he did the right thing by people. Everyone who knew him loved him."

Carrette was one of five paparazzi photographers who targeted Ledger for a soaking in 2006 as the Hollywood heart-throb arrived at Fox Studios for the Sydney premiere of his film Brokeback Mountain.

The snappers said it was retaliation after Ledger allegedly spat at them during a previous confrontation.

Ledger's partner and co-star Michelle Williams was also on the receiving end of the spray.

Carrette defended the stunt, saying it was a simple attempt to teach Ledger some manners after 18 months of bad behaviour.

"I put out (photographs) to 56 countries of the world and if they don't need that sort of publicity ... they're cutting off their noses to spite their face," he said at the time.

But his soft side was also obvious. Carrette later hand-delivered flowers to Williams to apologise for involving her.

"He had a lot of respect for people," O'Brien said.

"He was greatly loved, even by his rivals ... Just tell everyone what a doll he was."

In a statement late on Monday night, Carrette's family said a memorial tribute will be at Bondi Beach on Friday.

"Peter was a larger than life gentle giant with a heart of gold," the statement said.

"As a photographer he was a legend and a hero to many other young photographers whose careers he nurtured.

"He was a wonderful father to Madison and David and a true icon in every sense of the word."

Carrette's family said he was a great philanthropist who with actor Jack Thompson established an orphanage in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of pictures to assist the orphanage.

He planned to return to Cambodia in March next year for a follow-up documentary on the orphanage.