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Kem Lee

Company Owner at Real Photo, Jewelry Designer and Yoga Instructor

Kem Lee is a creative polymath and company owner of Real Photo, a business he ran from May 1995 to September 2023, spanning 28 years and 5 months.2 He operated in Atlanta and New York, working for clients in the photography industry.2

Kem Lee has a diverse background in photography and has been recognized as "the Dean of Chinatown photographers".1 For five decades, from the late 1920s through his official retirement in 1978, Lee chronicled nearly every facet of life in San Francisco's Chinatown.1 His work included photographing weddings, birthdays, graduations, funerals, parades, festivals, and various social functions throughout the neighborhood.1

Lee's photography represents the perspective of someone with deep roots and connections in the Chinatown community, documenting the vibrant life of the community for the community itself.1 His extensive archive, containing over 200,000 images, is now housed at the University of California, Berkeley, Ethnic Studies Library.1

In addition to his work in Chinatown, Kem Lee has more recently been involved in professional headshot photography. In February 2020, he posted on LinkedIn about traveling to Dallas to take photos of meeting attendees, describing it as a professional gift similar to a party favor.3

Highlights

Jun 8 · youtube.com
How to sign up for a new LinkedIn account - YouTube
How to sign up for a new LinkedIn account - YouTube
Jan 1 · talentrust.com
Kim Lee | TalenTrust
The Chronicles of Kem Lee | The San Franciscan
The Chronicles of Kem Lee | The San Franciscan

Related Questions

What inspired Kem Lee to transition from painting to photography?
How did Kem Lee's photography impact the representation of Chinatown in the media?
What are some of the most notable events or figures Kem Lee photographed?
How did Kem Lee's role as the official photographer for the Miss Chinatown USA Pageant influence his career?
What challenges did Kem Lee face in his career as a photographer in Chinatown?
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Location

Atlanta, Georgia, United States