On August 28th, 2019, country-pop singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves posted an Instagram picture that had us swooning. Taken back to a nostalgic, “retro yearbook photo,” led great attention to photographer: Tom Tuong. Since Musgraves’ discovery and her help in promoting his business, Tom’s 1 Hour Photo in Koreatown, Los Angeles has been booming with non-stop customers. We decided to get on the waitlist and have our own nostalgic photoshoot with Tom himself.
While on tour, Kacey Musgraves stumbled upon the shop with her sister. Perfectly fitting the aesthetic Musgraves cultivates on her Instagram, she has publicly supported Tom in multiple social media posts. But even more, she and her team have promoted Tom’s business by creating and running @toms1hourphotolab Instagram. Now, Tom’s 1 Hour Photo Lab serves as a hotspot location for many.
Immigrants from Vietnam, Tom and his wife have been taking pictures ever since their move to Southern California. They previously had two additional locations, but had to shut them down due to a lack of financial stability. Although, he has remained determined to continue his Koreatown location as it holds a tender place in his heart.
Tom’s shop was booming in the 90s, however, when the digital camera phase was starting to progress, he started to lose business. Now with the increase in popularity of disposable and film photos and the help of Musgraves, Tom’s business is beginning to pick up tremendously.
Rooted in authenticity and his love for photography, it is evident how passionate Tom is about photography. My roommates and I decided to book a group photoshoot with Tom, which had cost around fifty dollars. When arriving at our 3:30 pm appointment, the shop was an hour behind schedule. However, Tom’s wife apologized and reassured us that we would get a discounted price, additional photos and was very apologetic and considerate. We decided to go for a denim-on-denim look with the classic “cloud” backdrop from a few of the many choices including sparkle butterflies, roses, Christmas and rainbow. Sixty-year-old Tom positioned us in our photos and gave us his “vision.” Tom knew all the angles and tilts our heads should have been in, and what looked the most natural. He made the process so fun and enjoyable, making all of us giggle as we stacked our heads on top of one another.
And yes, I know you are wondering, we have these framed in our living room.
Quoted by Musgraves in The Hollywood Reporter, “We were raised in a small town, small-business household where ends sometimes were barely met. I think that’s why I have a soft spot for the dreamer… the underdog.” She continues in stating, “The response and support for Tom’s One Hour Photo have been so beautiful and overwhelming. His family has reached out to say how happy they are to see their father’s hard work being recognized. I really hope we have had some kind of lasting positive effect on his business. There are thousands of places just like this in all of our neighborhoods that we walk past every day and don’t think twice about. It’s imperative we all do our best to help keep these charming little establishments afloat. They are the backbone of our country and they need us.”
With this being said, I believe Kacey Musgraves deserves a “thank you” from us. Not only for presenting us the hidden gem that is Tom’s 1 Hour Photo, but as a reminder to support our local businesses. Especially in the Los Angeles area, I am sure that those of us living here and anywhere can offer support to our community by helping smaller companies. Whether it be leaving a positive review on Yelp, word of mouth or shopping at your local farmer’s market, we can all take part in financially building our community.
Thanks Kacey!
Be sure to follow @tomsonehourphotolab and book your appointment!