A wonderfully-timed snap of 20 F-16s forming the number '50', screaming across a clear blue sky in the lead up to National Day, is the top photo on The Straits Times' Instagram account this year.

The shot taken by ST photographer Lim Yaohui has so far garnered more than 1,200 likes.

Another photo captured a particularly poignant moment when a vigil orderly helped wipe the perspiration off a vigil guard standing on duty during the funeral of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

It drew more than 900 likes.

These photos, shot and curated by The Straits Times Picture Desk, is one reason why the Instagram account has jumped in popularity, from 3,300 followers at the start of this year to 15,000 now.

Deputy picture editor Malcolm Mcleod said: "We are very pleased. We will continue to strive to maintain a consistently high standard of photos that will entertain and surprise our readers."

Here are the top 15 posts from The Straits Times' Instagram account, ranked by likes.