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Daryl Aiden Yow

Daryl Aiden Yow (born 1991) is a Singaporean photographer and content creator who initially gained traction through his whimsical photographs. He is infamously known for his Instagram Photoshop saga back in 2018. As of August 2022, Daryl has a total of 122k followers on Instagram and 708 subscribers on YouTube.[1][2]

Daryl Aiden Yow
Daryl Aiden Yow Profile.jpg
Born25 January 1991
Alma materNanyang Polytechnic

Background

Early life and education

Daryl was born on 25 January 1991 and attended Nanyang Polytechnic.[3] Not much is known about his prior education. Before becoming a content creator on Instagram, Daryl was known for posting acoustic covers on YouTube and SoundCloud.[2][4]

Relationships

 
Daryl Aiden Yow with Isaac Tng. Photo from Instagram.

Daryl was in a long-term relationship with Isaac Tng from 2014-2017.[5]

$20,000 sponsored plastic surgery

 
Daryl Aiden Yow with Tammy Tay pre-surgery. Photo from Facebook.

In an article published by AsiaOne, Daryl was sponsored to undergo cosmetic surgery.[6] It was an all-expenses-paid trip organised by a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul, SM Plastic Surgery, in its sixth month of operation.[6] Daryl also commented in that interview that he was unhappy with his appearance, and was hoping that the procedures would make him more attractive.[6]

"We can always look better. Sometimes I find candid photos of myself taken at events, and I feel that I look horrible. With the enhancements, I can look good from all angles in every photo. It will be a permanent change for the better."[6]

Daryl had cosmetic work done on his eyelids, nose and chin. The total cost of these three procedures amounted to $20,000.[6]

Career

 
Daryl Aiden Yow's older Instagram posts that were deleted. Photo from TheSmartLocal.

Daryl was an Instagram influencer and content creator. He took a 3-month hiatus from social media after his photoshop saga. Ever since the incident, Daryl Aiden Yow has made changes to his work. He has since rebranded himself as a photoshop specialist.[7] His photographs on his Instagram are clearly digitally modified, and he reveals behind-the-scenes photographs of the editing and shooting process to users.

"Editing has always been part of what I do, but I just didn’t realise it. I just thought photography and editing always came together. I’ve always been inspired by editorial photos and would Google ‘how to shoot an editorial photo like Vogue’ or something."[8]

His new content has a heavy focus on the behind-the-scenes process to taking those shots.[8] His first client collaboration post-saga was for ASUS, where Daryl was asked to hold a photoshop workshop and a photography exhibition in conjunction with the ASUS art exhibition, “Collison: Unleash Your Creative Power at Luxe Art Museum”. This took place on 14 December 2018 to 16 December 2018 alongside other local artists such as Ripple Root and Teeteeheehee (Teresa Lim).[8][9] Daryl also revealed in an interview with 8 Days that even through his social media hiatus and scandal, his existing clients were supportive of him.[8]

"During those months, I got one month of break without doing anything, but the next two months before I resurfaced, I had a lot of behind the scenes photography jobs. My clients were actually very supportive of me. I shot stuff like campaign images, but I’d tell them not to credit me because I was worried there would still be some backlash."[8]

At present, Daryl works with brands such as NutriSoy, belif Singapore, Shopee and more.[10][11][12]

Instagram Photoshop controversy

 
A side-to-side comparison of Daryl's work to a picture taken by another photographer. Photo from Mothership.

Controversy emerged in June 2018 when Daryl Aiden Yow was revealed to have misled his followers and clients by falsely claiming full ownership of pictures that he had bought online.[13] He had also misled his followers and clients by falsely claiming full ownership of stock pictures that he had composited and edited without crediting the sources of the photographs.[14] It was unclear to netizens if the photographs were authentically his, causing problems and allegations against him to surface.[13] Many netizens felt that it was unethical and unprofessional behaviour on his part, causing his popularity to fall drastically. Daryl Aiden Yow has held various photography workshops, such as “Uniqlo Sports: Traveller Series IV”.[15] He has also collaborated with many brands, with more notable ones being Sony, Uniqlo and Oppo.

A controversy was caused after it was revealed that Daryl Aiden Yow had allegedly edited and used stock images for his collaboration with Sony for the campaign #SonyCreativeAlly. The objective of the campaign was to promote their new camera, the Sony α6500. He was chosen to be one of the three main Singaporean influencers fronting the campaign, alongside Fiona Fussi and Valerie Wang. He initially claimed that his pictures used for the campaign were taken with the Sony α6500. Upon further investigation, the pictures were actually the works of another photographer, and they were not taken with a Sony camera.[16]

Responses

Daryl Aiden Yow

Daryl Aiden Yow gave his first statements on the issue to alternative Singapore-based news sites, Mustsharenews. He stated that he did credit and pay for the stock images he used to create his edited photographs.[17] It was also stated that clients were duly notified regarding the usage of stock images for sponsored posts.[18]

On 21 June 2018, Daryl Aiden Yow deleted all of the 1,165 posts on his Instagram profile. He left only one post, which was the public apology to account for his past actions.[19]

#DarylAidenChallenge

In the midst of this incident, the #DarylAidenChallenge emerged.[20] Netizens were encouraged to edit themselves into stock images as part of the challenge. Companies, such as Scoot, F&N Seasons and Klook, were among those which published advertisements and held contests in relation to the incident. Influencers, such as Wendy Cheng (Xiaxue) and Preeti Nair (Preetipls) also participated in this trend.

Comeback

On 13 September 2018, Daryl Aiden Yow finally resurfaced on social media after a three month long hiatus. He announced his return with a post on Instagram, which depicted his past plagiarized photographs being burnt. The caption that followed was: “Mistakes come with a lesson. And with a lesson, comes change.” His actions accrued support from numerous local influencers and musicians, notably, Christabel Chua (ig: @bellywellyjelly), Naomi Neo (ig: @naomineo), Sandra Riley Tang (ig: @sandrarileytang) and Narelle Kheng (ig: @narellekheng).[21]

 
Daryl Aiden Yow's comeback picture on Instagram. Photo from Instagram.

Brand partnership with Viu

On 17 December 2018, Daryl Aiden Yow superimposed himself into some of the photos Benjamin Kheng (ig: @benjaminkheng) took in Switzerland for a partnership with Viu, “#ViuNoSleepNoFOMO”.[22] This sparked a yet another trend, with influencers, such as Preetipls and Darryl Koshy (DeeKosh) editing photographs of themselves with Benjamin Kheng in exotic places.

Notable happenings

Interview with Our Grandfather Story

On 6 January 2022, Daryl appeared in a video interview alongside Nicole Choo and other individuals about their experiences with cyber bullying.[23] Daryl mentioned that during the saga, haters went as far as to circulate his personal information on the internet and splash black paint on his front door. Going out became a scary thought and Daryl said he wore hoodies all the time to conceal his identity as he feared that his haters would go to greater extents to harm him.[23]

 
Daryl Aiden Yow and Nicole Choo on Our Grandfather Story. Photo from YouTube.

Daryl acknowledged that he did deserve the hate because he was "greedy for money" and just wanted to close campaigns, but he didn't think he deserved to be harassed and his family intimidated.[23]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ darylaiden. "Daryl Aiden Yow". Instagram. n.d. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 darylaiden. "Daryl Aiden Yow". YouTube. n.d. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  3. ↑ alvinology media. "Who Is Daryl Aiden Yow? True Photography Influencer Or A Con Man?". June 20, 2018. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  4. ↑ Yow, Daryl. "Fearless. Daryl Aiden Yow". SoundCloud. May 7, 2010. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  5. ↑ isaactng. ""Trust Isaac (and Daryl) not to turn up in pink." It's the support that matters :D #pinkdot". Instagram. June 4, 2016. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Lee, Joce. "S'pore blogger and singer to undergo $20k plastic surgery to look perfect". AsiaOne. n.d. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  7. ↑ Lee, Vivian. ”Daryl Aiden Yow Re-Brands Himself As A Photoshop Specialist And He’s Winning Fans Back”. MustShareNews. October 11, 2018. Accessed on 10 January 2019. Retrieved From: https://mustsharenews.com/daryl-aiden-yow-photoshop/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Teo, Jasmine. "Daryl Aiden Yow Spills All In His First Interview After Photoshop Saga — Of His Scandal, Hiatus And First Photo Exhibition Since The Comeback". 8 Days. December 13, 2018. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  9. ↑ ASUS. Facebook. December 3, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved From ASUS’ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/asus.sg/posts/want-to-know-how-daryl-aiden-adds-magic-to-his-photographysign-up-for-his-free-p/2240849362615726/
  10. ↑ darylaiden. "So… a few months back, @nutrisoysingapore approached me for this “More than meets the eye” campaign. There’s always a stereotype on how influencers like myself are like, but there’s so much more to me. Other than being known for photographing and being proficient in Photoshop, I bake and film videos too! My favourite Singaporean dessert is definitely Pulut Hitam (I have it at least twice a week after dinner, last year, my dad bought it for me every single day for a few months haha!) The new limited edition NutriSoy Fresh Soya Milk with real Purple Rice is really like Pulut Hitam with Soya Milk, I can’t get over it!!! Pulut Hitam is seen as an indulgent dessert but purple rice actually has many nutritional benefits! They promote heart health and contain antioxidants and they taste soooo great to me!! #NutriSoy #PurpleRice". Instagram. August 2, 2022. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  11. ↑ darylaiden. "Exactly one month ago, I shared that I was testing out new products to see how I feel about them! The products are these Super Knights sleeping masks by @belif_singapore! The Multivitamin Mask contains 4 kinds of vitamins to revitalise your skin in the morning! It is thick, and it’ll sit on top of your skin (last step in my skincare routine) and work its magic through the night. When I wake, I wash it off with water and I truly see my skin looking brighter!! The Clear Soothing Mask is pretty straightforward! It does what it claims to do! I apply a layer of it (last step in my routine as well) and wake up to soothed hydrated skin! PS: I didn’t get to capture an aesthetic photo of the products with their caps off (see second slide) because I’m almost emptying both my jar. Wanted to do a nice swirl at the top for each product but I couldn’t. 😭 It’ll be a mask I’ll repurchase for sure. #belifsingapore #SuperKnights #KnightsOfTheNight #SkinRescue". Instagram. August 7, 2022. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  12. ↑ darylaiden. "Get the best of both worlds with Sand & Sky’s Detox & Repair Duo! The Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask refines pores, clears congestion, and instantly boosts my skin’s radiance, while the Tasmanian Spring Water Intense Hydrating Mask intensively hydrates and repairs my skin barrier, helping me achieve instant luminous skin in 10 minutes (IT REALLY DOES!) It also soothes redness and strengthens skin barrier with Cornflower and Fermented Sea Kelp. Boosted with holy-grail Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane and Pentavitin, it deeply moisturises the skin for long lasting hydration and luminous skin. Plus, all of Sand & Sky’s products are cruelty-free and have no nasties in them! You can win prizes worth more than $1,000 by participating in Sand & Sky’s exclusive giveaway in conjunction with the 6.6 - 7.7 Great Shopee Sale – the Hottest Mid-Year Festival which brings Great Sales, Great Fun – that’s happening until 7 June! 1) Screenshot and repost the giveaway banner from the link here: https://shp.ee/f3wsk7v 2) Take a selfie/video and post on IGS/TikTok and tag @sandandskyaus with #sandandskygss. 3) To stand an additional chance of winning, locate their bus stop ads located islandwide and repeat step 2! Hint: if you’re in town, look near Forum/Delfi Orchard! 1 lucky winner will win Sand & Sky’s Detox & Repair Duo and iPad Air, 64 GB in Purple! Good luck! @shopee_sg #ShopeeSG #GreatShopeeSale #sandandsky #sandandskygss". Instagram. June 3, 2022. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Goh, Wei Choon. Ng, Rachel. Wee, Jiahui. Lee, Joshua. "S'pore photographer Daryl Aiden Yow's pics are so lovely, they look stunningly like other people's work". Mothership. June 20, 2018. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  14. ↑ Ng, Charmaine. “Singapore photographer Daryl Aiden Yow sorry for passing off stock images as his own on Instagram”. The Straits Times. June 21, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-photographer-daryl-aiden-yow-sorry-for-passing-off-stock-images-as-his-own-on
  15. ↑ Uniqlo. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.uniqlo.com/sg/OrchardCentral/events/70
  16. ↑ Ng, Charmaine. “Singapore photographer Daryl Aiden Yow sorry for passing off stock images as his own on Instagram”. The Straits Times. June 21, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-photographer-daryl-aiden-yow-sorry-for-passing-off-stock-images-as-his-own-on
  17. ↑ Joelynn. ”Influencer Daryl Aiden Yow Admits Paying For Stock Images To Create Composite Photos”. MustShareNews. June 20, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved From: https://mustsharenews.com/daryl-aiden-yow-plagiarism/
  18. ↑ Ibid.
  19. ↑ ”Photographer Daryl Aiden Yow deletes all photos from Instagram account after plagiarism scandal”. Channel NewsAsia. June 22, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved From: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/lifestyle/daryl-aiden-yow-deletes-all-photos-instagram-account-plagiarism-10460434
  20. ↑ Must Share News. "There’s Now A #DarylAidenChallenge Hashtag Full Of Hilarious Photoshops". Must Share News. June 20, 2018. Accessed 10 August 2022.
  21. ↑ September 13, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved From Daryl Aiden Yow’s Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnqmzALj5B0/
  22. ↑ Daryl Yow. Instagram. December 17, 2018. Accessed on 3 January 2019. Retrieved From Daryl Aiden Yow’s Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/p/Brfd-H2FDF7/
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Our Grandfather Story. "Surviving The Dark Side Of Social Media | Can Ask Meh?". YouTube. January 6, 2022. Accessed 10 August 2022.
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