Obituary: Andrew Murphy, photographer, 63

Born in 1947, Andrew Murphy was a regular presence at red carpet events in the Capital, taking photos of celebrities such as Sir Sean Connery and Sir Patrick Stewart at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival.

His photography covered a wide breadth of topics from festivals, charity events and art exhibitions to snapshots of Edinburgh, and showed a passion for the city.

Like all good photographers, Mr Murphy, a regular contributor to the letters pages in the Evening News, carried a camera wherever he went, in case something grabbed his attention. He enjoyed photographing wildlife and the scenery he encountered along the waterways of Edinburgh.

Some of his photography sparked newspaper coverage of its own, including one infamous shot taken on 27 January, 1996. The photo of Princes Street Gardens West featured an isolated Ross Bandstand in a garden of snow. When it was developed, it revealed two people standing on the main path, near the bandstand who did not appear on the other photos he took. There were claims that the images of the two people were superimposed but experts confirmed the photo was genuine. The presence of the people in the photo has never been explained.

In 1982, he moved to the Royal Mile where he experienced the rare sight of six albino sparrows in his garden. The sparrows fascinated him and he kept a diary of their visits. The diary extracts, which were published on his website, conveyed his fascination and inquisitiveness of wildlife.

Mr Murphy's career as a photographer came much later in his life. From the age of nine, he worked in over 150 different jobs before taking photos full-time.

In 1973, he registered with the Territorial and Volunteer Reserve Army where he worked as a limber gunner, servicing the unit's heavy guns. The One O'Clock gun was part of his unit and on several occasions he was honoured with the privilege of firing the gun.

In the mid-80s, after finding himself unemployed, he gained a street trader's licence to open a shoeshine business on Waverley Bridge. Using an adapted house chair, he worked for seven months polishing the shoes of residents and tourists of Edinburgh. Although it was a short-lived business, he relished the conversations of his clients and sharing his knowledge of the Capital.

In 1992, he became a professional photographer after a holiday to Thailand, filming 12 hours of footage of orchid gardens and markets. His first official event was the European Summit later that year and eventually he progressed from moving images to still frames.

Mr Murphy died earlier this month, in his Royal Mile home.