Local photographer/influencer Daryl Aiden Yow is currently embroiled in a saga where quite a number of his Instagram posts — including sponsored ones — bear just about 100 per cent similarity to images taken from stock photos and other photographers:

After a day spent in silence, steadily removing post after post from his Instagram page (a total of 43 by Thursday afternoon), Yow has released a public statement on his Instagram page.

Here it is in full:

Hi everyone,

I didn’t intend to release any statement regarding recent events, largely because I did not know how I could accurately express how sorry I am. But seeing how people are now making baseless and false allegations against those close to me — simply by mere association -- I have decided to confront the facts instead of leaving them subject to speculation. I did not want to let any more people down.

The outrage regarding how I have conducted myself is justified and I accept full responsibility for my actions and all consequences that arise from those actions.

I was wrong to have claimed that stock images and other people’s work were my own. I was also wrong to have used false captions that misled my followers and those who viewed my images. Having marketed myself as a photographer, I fell far short of what was expected of me and disappointed those who believed—or wanted to believe— in me. For all of that, I apologise.

Those close to me disagree with my actions and have asked, whenever they felt that something was not right about my images, that I stop my actions immediately. I did not take their advice seriously and would give reasons that I thought would assuage any concerns they had over those images—just enough so that we would move on to other issues. I let them down with my actions.

I would also like to take the opportunity to clear the air. The end-products of my collaborations with my friends remained honest and fair. Whatever my shortcomings were, I did not bring them to my collaborations. That would not have been fair to those who collaborated with me, and they would not have allowed such practices to be carried out in any event. These people are hard-working professionals and I was hurt to see people make baseless allegations or insinuations against them or question their integrity. They should not be hounded for my errors. To that end, I hope that these baseless allegations or insinuations would stop.

I know I have erred and hope that I will be given the time and space to grow and better myself. For those who have stood by me, I would like to thank you and hope that I will be able to earn such kindness in the future.

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He originally released it on his Instagram stories:

But subsequently published the same message in an Instagram post:

Admitted to claiming stock images as his own, for misleading followers with "false captions"

In essence, Yow admitted that he had claimed the stock images and other people's work as his own. He also recognised that his "false captions" had misled [his] followers".

However, he defends his friends against the "baseless and false allegations" that were made against them.

Although he did not initially intend to release a statement, he eventually did so to"confront the facts" in order to defend his friends.

But we have to note that conspicuously missing from the statement is clarity on his relationship and understanding with the numerous big brands implicated in his saga.

This is Yow's second time addressing the matter publicly.

Here's the first:

Top image from Daryl Aiden Yow's Instagram