Kacey Musgraves Is Championing This Small L.A. Business—One Dreamy Photoshoot at a Time

Kacey Musgraves and her sister were recently in Los Angeles in search of a quick one-hour photo shop when they stumbled upon Tom’s One Hour Photo and Lab in Koreatown. Nestled in between two bodegas, the small business and its sweet yet simple vibe clearly struck a chord with Musgraves. “It’s one of those rare mom-&-pop gems that has lasted [through] trends coming and going and weirdly has come back around again without even realizing it,” read the Instagram caption she posted yesterday. In addition to regular film development, Tom, the storeowner, hand-paints backdrops for those old school glam portraits that you might remember from your bygone mall rat days when the lighting was dreamy and the soft focus effect looked like Vaseline had been smeared on the lens.

 

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We were just in LA and needed to find a One Hour Photo place quick. Sandwiched between little bodegas, my sister randomly found this place on Beverly Blvd in Korea Town called Tom’s One Hour Photo & Lab. It’s one of those rare mom-&-pop gems that has lasted thru trends coming and going and weirdly has come back around again without even realizing it. The owner, Tom, was SO adorable. He not only does film developing but (cheap) and nostalgic portrait sessions too. (He gave us digital files and we edited these but he’ll shoot on film if you ask him to.) Pick your favorite background! He made them all himself. 🥰 It’s cash only and he has no internet. He sadly told us his business used to be really busy back in 1991 when he opened but has slowed way down since the digital wave. So, like any good millennials would do we started an appreciation Instagram for him. @tomsonehourphotolab 🌹 Not sure he’ll even see this. Stop by, tell all your friends, and don’t forget to tag. Let’s keep this charming business afloat! #TomsOneHourPhoto

A post shared by K A C E Y M U S G R A V E S (@spaceykacey) on Aug 28, 2019 at 11:56am PDT

Musgraves was so enamored with the nostalgic set-up that she indulged in an impromptu photo session, posing in some appropriately ’90s-style barrettes in her hair and a throwback red and blue-trimmed white tracksuit. The country-crossover singer walked away from the store with more than just some new portraits though. To help boost the store’s foot traffic which has dwindled considerably since opening in 1991, the singer set up a Tom’s One Hour Photo appreciation Instagram account. “Not sure he’ll even see this,” Musgraves said (apparently, Tom’s not active on the Internet). “Stop by, tell all your friends, and don’t forget to tag. Let’s keep this charming business afloat!”