Best known by his Instagram handle YK, Singaporean shutterbug Lee Yik Keat recounts his near‑decade‑long photographic journey and how he manages his considerable online presence
With a collective 3.2 million followers on his Instagram and TikTok accounts at press time, it is safe to say that Lee Yik Keat—or YK, as he is known to his community—is one of Singapore’s most successful street photographers and content creators. Admirers relish his arty snaps of urban landscapes, while his video tutorials that detail photography hacks keep his audience coming back for more.
Armed with just an iPhone 4 and a healthy dose of curiosity when he started in 2014, the self‑taught lensman has since gone on to work with the likes of Adidas, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, OCBC Bank and Porsche, and bagged plenty of cred along the way. Lee was also a judge for Apple’s Shot on iPhone Challenge in 2022.
Read more: Singaporean street photographer Lee Yik Keat on finding beauty in the everyday
Not bad for an aerospace engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University, who eschewed the engineering route, pursued his passion and is now reaping the rewards. For this self‑professed introvert, the devil is in the details. Pensive by nature, Lee says that his sensitivity to his surroundings is what makes him notice details that others might overlook.
While his fascination primarily lay in architecture and design at the start of his career, Lee has since pivoted to documenting everyday moments on the streets. His biggest inspiration comes from daily life, observing it playing out on the streets and in different environments. “I’ve been trying to find more ‘soul’ in my photography, to find the beauty in daily life,” he says.
He shares more about his photographic journey and his five favourite photos in his own words.
