There aren't enough words of praise in the English language for Shaun of Top Shelf Photo! We were lucky enough to find him on Yelp for our engagement photos, and in mid-November of 2024 he braved the chill of Palomar Mountain to take spectacular photos of us. Nonstop compliments from friends and family, and received much quicker than anticipated. Once we got into wedding planning, Shaun was the obvious choice for our photography needs. Along with his second shooter Jess (Jessica Christie Photography), he again knocked it out of the park. Couldn't have asked for more perfect photos. On a more personal note, Shaun is the above-and-beyond type of person to take the absolute best shots possible. Like, fixing the boutonniere on my suit himself for the exact right angle, or gently shoo'ing away stinkbugs while helping my wife to re-tie her wedding shoes type of person. His passion and dedication for his craft are inspiring, and I guarantee if you don't love being in photos as a general rule (like myself) he will absolutely put you at ease and make it look like you've been modeling all your life. Thank you for everything Shaun, from the bottom of our hearts. read more

Top Shelf was truly top shelf. We used them two separate years for family photos. Loved it. read more

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We booked Shaun for a corporate event and he was the best! So professional and has a way of making people feel comfortable for photos. Would definitely recommend as a wonderful photographer for any private session or event! read more

Shaun was amazing! We booked him on super short notice and he still showed up with a great attitude and a ton of patience. We have four dogs (aka chaos on leashes) and not all of them were in the mood to cooperate, but Shaun worked his magic and got beautiful shots anyway. We're seriously blown away by the results and so grateful for his flexibility and professionalism. Highly recommend, especially if your "family" includes a few furry troublemakers! Thank you so much!! Can't wait to work with you again!! read more

Shaun was an absolute rock star, and I could not recommend Top Shelf Photo more. Our university was having an alumni event in LA, and fortunately, Top Shelf Photo was connected to us through a colleague. We had well over 100 attendees, and Shaun was everywhere, capturing all the special moments. He was flexible when it came to photo requests, staged photos, and I'm so glad I trusted his vision because the photos came out amazing. As enjoyable as events are in the moment, having beautifully shot photos that we can enjoy for years to come really does make a difference. Your search ends here: Top Shelf Photo is the best. read more

We are so pleased with our photos with Top Shelf Photo! Shaun suggested Torry Pines at sunset and his pictures are stunning! read more

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Highly recommend!! Everything from scheduling to meeting for photos was smooth and professional. We are not photo people but the photographer made it easy and comfortable. read more

A Dream Wedding Captured Perfectly by Shaun! I cannot say enough good things about Shaun! From start to finish, he went above and beyond to ensure our wedding memories were captured beautifully. When we had to reschedule our original date, Shaun was incredibly understanding and flexible, which made a stressful situation so much easier. On the wedding day, his approach was nothing short of amazing. Shaun has this natural ability to make you feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera--even for shy people like us who aren't used to having professional photos taken. I was initially worried about how the photos would turn out, but I had nothing to fear. Shaun guided us with such ease, and the results are beyond incredible! We were absolutely blown away by how quickly he delivered the photos--just two days after the wedding! And the quality? Stunning. Every single picture captures the joy, love, and excitement of the day perfectly. Our friends and family can't stop raving about how beautiful the photos are and how happy we all look. If you're looking for a photographer who is professional, talented, and truly cares about making your big day unforgettable, Shaun is your guy. He exceeded all of our expectations, and we will cherish these photos forever. Thank you, Shaun, for making our day even more special! read more

Top Shelf Photo - Wedding photoshoot - Event Photography Near Me

Shaun is so quick at responding and we were able to schedule engagement pictures within a week and a half. He was so professional and easy to work with. His pictures were so vivid and beautiful, I saw how his pictures were in examples and our pictures came out amazing!! We received so many pictures in about 2 days. I highly recommend him! read more

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We couldn't be happier with our experience working with Shaun at Top Shelf Photo. From the start, he was easygoing, responsive, and such a joy to work with. On the day of the wedding, he brought a calm, positive energy and made everything feel effortless. The photos blew us away. Shaun captured not only the big moments, but so many genuine, in-between ones that truly reflect the feeling of the day. Everything looks natural, emotional, and even better than we could have imagined. We're beyond grateful to have had Shaun as our photographer and would recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone looking for someone so talented, kind, and professional. read more

From engagement shoot to our wedding day. The NUMBER 1 best decision we made in our entire wedding process was hiring Shaun. I left a review last year regarding our engagement shoot, please take a look. WOW. This man is a complete genius and artist. Months before the wedding, Shaun set up a call and ensured I had listed out every photo I wanted, with specific people/family members. You can tell he cares deeply about the future heirlooms he's creating. One thing I can say is not every photographer does this. I have several friends who've been married who stated they never discussed photo layouts or subjects with their photographer before the big day. Shaun's execution and attention to detail speaks for itself. From the minute he stepped foot at our venue, he directed, encouraged and brought everyone together WHILE MAINTAINING OUR VERY strict timeline. Both myself and my husband had large, and rather unruly wedding parties. This man is a saint. Shaun's professionalism, and positive attitude was the perfect balance to take charge and ensure my dream photos were captured. That man worked HARD, and his second photographer onsite with him was an absolute angel. Both were unstoppable. The other thing I have to say, is my family and friends RAVED about him, everyone said how kind and hard working he was. So many pictures were taken. The candids allow us to relive every moment through his eyes. My guests LOVED him, that made me so happy to know the impact he left was felt by everyone! The best day of my life was captured with the quality, elegance and emotion I wanted. Shaun is a dream to work with and truly gave me one of the greatest gifts of all. I could not imagine my wedding day without him. I 1,000,000% recommend Top Shelf Photography. Again the BEST decision my husband and I made was to work with him. I am even sad that we don't have another wedding to hire him for! LOL isn't that ridiculous. All jokes aside we will defintely reach out to him for all future family photos, parties and weddings. Book him now, you will be so glad you did. Thank you Shaun! We LOVE YOU! Thank you for giving us the most amazing experience. read more

Shaun was absolutely the best choice we made for anything for our wedding and we couldn't be happier. He was truly amazing and gracious when things went wrong. Even then he still went above and beyond to help, give support, and was flexible when plans fell through. And that was just the day of! He is quick to respond to messages and was easy to talk to. Photos were ready fast and look so dreamy and beautiful! We look forward to looking at these gorgeous photos for years to come. I truly cannot recommend Shaun enough and am so grateful for his professionalism, compassion, and skill. Thank you from Erik and Mona!!! read more

This review is wayyyy overdue, but we have to share our remarkable experience with TopShelf Photo! TLDR: Makes sure you're comfortable Incredibly responsive and easy to talk to Years of experience shown through photos Provided recommendations for photo locations Phenomenal professionalism with different people Great for a couple that usually take awkward photos and don't know how to pose or feel nervous when posing. Turnaround time was unmatched! He met all our photo requests and more! Went above and beyond what we expected from a photographer. Incredible group photos, spectacular candid photos, and the best wedding photos. We booked Shaun for our September 2023 Courthouse Wedding. Shaun is a brilliant photographer and great, charismatic guy. From the get-go, he was attentive to all our requests and questions. He ensured we felt comfortable before making anything official and made sure all our questions were answered. We had a small intimate Wedding at the County followed by a photoshoot with our close family and friends at a nearby location. Shaun mentioned he had experience with our venue and was more than willing to share his expertise and samples of an event he's photographed there. We expressed our interest to have a first look, and luckily, we were able to set something up at the hotel we stayed in right next door. We told him about this request before the event, but we really delved into the details the morning of the Wedding. Since the Bride and Groom were already so preoccupied, Shaun happily coordinated with the MOH and the groomsmen (who were also taking videos of the first look). Shaun captured our perfect first look and everyones reactions in a way for us to re-live that magical moment through still photos. One of our most treasured moments. After capturing some pictures of the civil ceremony, we assembled our party at the beautiful and green, nearby park that Shuan recommended. He was more than willing to travel there! We originally had a different location in mind, but Shaun gave us some points to think about (such as parking, access for others etc.) and he recommended this perfect fit for everyone that made for lovely and bright pictures. If you are looking for a Wedding photographer for your next event, we highly recommend you reach out to Shaun. He knows what he's talking about and you can tell he enjoys what he does. We promise you won't be disappointed! read more

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Highly recommend!! Shaun is amazing and captured my family perfectly. Picked some great spots and made the kids feel comfortable!

Shaun Hagen (Top Shelf Photo) took our engagement photos and our wedding photos (we are an LGBT couple). My wife and I are in love with all of our photos! I highly recommend hiring him for any of your events. You cannot get better than Shaun. He knows how to pose people, which helps those who feel nervous or awkward in front of cameras, and the way he frames things and edits everything really makes the photos stunning. My wife and I fell in love with how Shaun creates up-close-and-personal photos, the intimate ones, and the larger-than-life ones involving nature. I really love all his work and recommend him if you want stunning photos. Anyone can take photos on a phone or camera, but not just anyone can create MAGIC and actually be talented...Shaun is very talented and creates magic every time. read more

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Took great care of me and my fiancé. We had a miscommunication with the hotel regarding taking photos on their property and told us last minute no professional photos. We were only allowed to use our iPhones. We asked shaun if we can take photos in the room and it turned out good. He was also accommodating and we were able to get photos taken outside at the property. We loved the photos. read more

You've found your wedding photographer! Shaun absolutely surpassed all of our expectations and more. He knows customer service well and goes above and beyond in making sure you're happy. Before our first call, we knew from his portfolio that he was our pick and his prices are really reasonable. Photographers charge an arm and a leg(with good reason) but with Shaun, we still felt like we were getting a great deal! We forgot about our engagement photo session until like a month before our actual wedding date. And he was able to accommodate us almost immediately. And he was flexible to change the date the day before and got us in earlier than originally planned. Despite my wife and I being pretty awkward and camera shy, he still managed to pull some amazing pictures that shocked us! He made us feel like we were in some fashion or lifestyle magazine. When it came down to our wedding, we were super comfortable around him and I think he was even shocked at how much different we were taking our first look pictures. We still had some awkward moments, but every picture he took was beautiful! He got all the little details and moments I wouldn't have expected. And truly made our wedding feel even more special after the fact. Shaun is a true gem of a photographer and we can't wait to book him in the future for Christmas photos! read more

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Professional services, worked with our schedule and are large group. We were so pleased with the finished product. Would definitely request Top Shelf again! read more

My wife and I plan to refer Top Shelf Photography to anyone and everyone that needs a photographer! We honestly cannot recommend Shaun enough! We first worked with Shaun when we did our engagement photos and he was professional while still allowing us to have a great time. We instantly felt comfortable being around him and he has an excellent eye for detail. Our engagement photos turned out beautifully and went so smooth we decided we just HAD to have Shaun take our wedding photos. He was amazing the day of our wedding, making sure we got all the pictures we wanted in addition to whatever he thought was important. I can't wait to work with Shaun again for all of our other family photos we plan to do! read more

Ho-ly crap. Stop reading this and give Shaun a call. Hopefully he's not booked! I needed Shaun for a marriage proposal. The tricky part was that the proposal was at the end of a very long "treasure hunt." Shaun was very flexible and showed up early (Which really saved me since the treasure hunt ended earlier than expected due to the proposee opting to skip the second to last stop) Shaun was EXTREMELY knowledgable about where the couple needed to stand yet also took the wants into account. One thing that really struck me was how aware he was. He let me know that the location was windy so I should try to make sure the young woman's hair was clamped down. It was great advice! Finally, the big moment came and he was everywhere! He got some INCREDIBLE shots and then did a little engagement shoot with them. The couple was very quirky and Shaun met them on their level to bring out the absolute best photos! I've worked with a LOT of great photographers in my time as an event planner and Shawn was the absolute best! Thank you so much for everything! read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me

I can't recommend Shaun enough. My husband and I don't usually love having our picture taken, but the time we spent taking wedding photos with Shaun ended up being one of the highlights of our wedding day. And the pictures are amazing. The collection of wedding photos that we have is the perfect tribute to our day. Shaun captured every single moment. He's professional, responsive, reliable, fun to work with, and just everything you could ever want out of a wedding photographer and more. read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me

I can't say enough wonderful things about the photos Shaun took of my daughter for her college graduation. She looked so beautiful and I have received so many compliments from family and friends of the photos he took .. He captured my daughter's personality perfectly.. I will be using Top Shelf for my son's upcoming senior photos .. Top Shelf is simply amazing read more

Would highly recommend. We did our maternity photos with Shaun and loved them so much we did family photos once our daughter was born. We have received so many complements on our pictures. For our maternity pictures we did them on the beach. I didn't want super posed pictures, and shaun delivered. He gave us some posing recommendations to make us look natural and candid. At first I wanted to take pictures at the Oceanside harbor but he gave me some other suggestions and I'm so happy we listened. For our family pictures, he came over to the house and was super patient with our little one and 3 dogs. I can't get over how much I love our pictures. read more

Love this place, everyone so helpfull. Always got the best smoke, up THANKS GUYS AND GIRLS read more

Shaun is INCREDIBLE! Would HIGHLY recommend. Extremely reliable and friendly. Took amazing photos we'll cherish forever. He's a legend! read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me

Shaun Hagen (Top Shelf Photo) is an amazing photographer. We were actually referred to him by our wedding venue through a suggested list, and upon review of his work, we selected him as our photographer for the wedding and also for our engagement photos. Ever since 2020, we didn't really take photos much, so we needed someone to also take photos for our engagement and it was also offered as a complimentary free 1-2 hour shoot for booking a wedding photo package. Honestly, the photos for both engagement and wedding turned out amazing. We were quite blown away at the color and how crisp and clear the photos turned out. If you are not a photogenic person or not the posing type for photos, Shaun will offer suggested poses if you don't know what to do or feel awkward when taking photos. You can also pose certain ways as well if you have ideas, he really works with you. The photo sessions felt fun and quite at ease. Shaun also will create photo albums for your wedding for an additional fee. The photos are printed on a thick sturdy board book and are professionally printed from a vendor and will be shipped to you directly at completion, so the photos look clean and crisp. You will have to select the photos, but Shaun will arrange and collage them into the album. You will also get to final review this before finalizing. Shaun took much time for us and did several revisions (adding more photos or adding captions on the front cover, etc.), and was patient with us. We loved our photos, and we got many compliments from our friends and family who viewed the photos, both the digital version and our photo album that was created. I'd recommend him. Take a look at his portfolio online or his social media to see his work. You won't regret it if you pick Shaun to capture any special moments or special days. read more

Shaun was so kind and made the process so easy for us. The photos we received were beyond what we could have hoped for. He really brought out the colors in our clothes and our surroundings making for beautiful photos we can cherish forever. read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me

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There's a word limit on Yelp right? Because if there isn't I could go on and on about our photoshoot with Shaun. He did a PHENOMONAL job! I was completely blown away. It was my 1 year old daughters birthday and from the beginning he fit right in with us. We are all extroverts and loud and talking over each other and Shaun showed up and was totally in the joyous moment with us. He gave us clear directions, answered our questions, gave suggestions and more. The best part of it all was he told us to give him the weekend to go through the photos and we received them in less than 24 hours. He even included a "stolen moment" where no one was paying attention and he snapped such a perfect picture of my daughter with her aunties. The only reason I am not posting pictures to this review is because I am a protective mama bear but if I could I'd attach every picture because they are all amazing. My sister saw the photos and said we will never use another photographer. Which is true, I 100% recommend Top Shelf Photography and I 100% thank you Shaun for taking this moment and making it special. I thought we were just taking some basic family photos but with tears in my eyes I can honestly say you gave us much more than that. These photos are going to help turn our house into a home. I appreciate you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! read more

10/10 would recommend Got married early April, and here were all the Pros about Shaun: 1) Very knowledgeable, organized, flexible (we knew nothing; our wedding was more an elopement ceremony with food for 10 people). Recommended poses, lighting, timing, etc but was willing to work with what we were hoping for (in this case, gave him very few instructions, and everything turned out great). Not pushy - listened to what we wanted. 2) Competitive affordable rates! 3) Accommodated our relatively last minute request (~3 weeks before our day) 4) Super quick turnaround on photos (I think like a week?); we were able to share with everyone and they were very high quality 5) Photos came out great 6) Blended into the background when needed 7) Just a lovely person to be around! We felt very comfortable with him and will use him again for any formal shoots we need read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me

Choosing Top Shelf Photo was the BEST choice we made for our wedding day! We discovered the photos this amazing Photographer had captured for others while looking through photos on Instagram in search for my make-up artist. I paused at a photo by Shaun and was captivated by the beauty of the photo itself. Shaun's photos are so unique in the way they play with light, reflections, and backgrounds. After scrolling through Top Shelf Photo Instagram page and website, we immediately booked Shaun- the head photographer and owner of Top Shelf Photo. After an initial conversation with Shaun, we knew he was the one! He was attentive to detail, is a good listener, and made me feel comfortable. The price point was comparable to other photographers we found. He never tried to upsell us or make us buy packages that we were not interested in. We were married in November (Thanksgiving week) and we wanted our shots to be outdoors, in a wooded area setting. Shaun helped us pick the perfect spot and since it was Autumn, the shots were amazing! The day of, Shaun was very professional. He arrived with his all of his equipment on time, and started working right away. The entire time, he kept us on our timeline and made sure we got all the photos in that we wanted. Shaun was excellent in handing all the details, such as fixing my dress, repositioning by bouquet, straightening up my husband's tux, and removing tree branches to capture perfect shots. For instance, when the sun was setting, it created this beautiful sun glare and warmth of color tones- Shaun made sure we were able to capture all the different textures in the wooded area. He captured beautiful moments which we are so very grateful for! We were blown away. All the photos have exceeded our expectations and captured every moment so elegantly. All in all, we recommend Top Shelf Photo! Shaun's photos are unique and beautiful - every photo is edited and personalized. It does not feel at all like a cookie-cutter photoshoot. Shaun is professional, courteous, funny and knowledgeable- with a very positive vibe! He surpassed all our expectations. If there was one thing we did not regret from our wedding, it was choosing Shaun from Top Shelf Photo! Thank you Shaun!!! read more

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Really is Top Shelf! Shaun was really flexible for our family photos. We had originally scheduled an evening shoot and when our kids didn't nap and were being let's call it, potentially and very likely un-photogenic, he went out of the way to re-book us on very late notice. Shaun is fantastic with kids (we have a 3 and 5 year old) and he quickly had them laughing. He seemed to know when they had enough of one spot and moved to the next. The hour we had with Shaun flew by. Most of all the images are perfect. He caught everything we asked for and more and turned them around in just a few days. read more

We had a wonderful experience with Shaun and we would without a doubt call him again for family portraits or event photography in the future! We hired Shaun for our wedding in June 2023 which also included an engagement shoot. His prices are fantastic and we even worked with us on a custom package pricing. Our engagement shoot photos were complete and delivered to us within less than 24 hours and our wedding photos came in less than 4 weeks. Shaun spent the time to adjust each guest's imperfections (Ex: stray hair, crooked tie) before he took the photo. Every photo was beautifully captured and edited and we couldn't be happier! Thank you so much Shaun!! read more

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We recently had family photo session with Shaun. He was so patient and professional with three little kiddos. All the photos came out looking great and natural. We had the best experience! read more

My daughter was graduating from College and see live several hours away. I went on yelp and searched for a photographer. Shaun's prices were unbeatable with what you get, so we went with him. He did not disappoint!! He captured such lovely photos of my daughter and she said he was so pleasant to work with. Would definitely use again!! read more

Shaun Hagen at Top Shelf Photo helped make our daughter's wedding a pure joy. Planning a wedding during a global pandemic with a military groom can be very stressful, but Shaun pivoted gracefully at every challenge. Once our special say finally came, he was enthusiastic and creative in all of the photography. I really loved that he knew our Bella Collina (San Clemente) so amazingly for location shots, lighting effects and overall awesome-ness. I highly recommend his photography service. read more

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Shaun is an awesome photographer. From the beginning, he was immediately responsive to the quote and information request and he was able to schedule me in a timely matter. During the photoshoot, he was considerate of our pose requests and preferences and had great ideas of his own. The turn around time on the edited photos was quick and his link was easy to navigate thru. I will definitely be using him again in the future. read more

Top Shelf Photo - Carlsbad Beach - Event Photography Near Me

Can I start with how amazing my experience was? First of all, I contacted him based on the reviews that I saw here. I needed someone who can calmly work with my very active small children. He was very responsive and in general it was easy to book with day and time! I told him what I wanted and what I would like to accomplish in an hour. We met at Balboa Park and he was extremely on time and in general very easy going. He was calm and very knowledgeable about the area and despite covid he did an amazing job! He was aware of keeping his distance but was able to capture beautiful pictures. My kids went craycray but he was patient and kind and made sure to capture all the pictures possible. The return was quick and the pictures turned out beautiful!! I can highly recommend him. His work is just beautiful and I love my family pictures! read more

Shaun was great. Our maternity photos came out perfect. He took his time and knew the right angles. He also got our photos done within days. We have gotten many compliments on our photos. Definitely recommend him. read more

Book Shaun now! I hired Shaun for my wedding and he was AMAZING!!! My now husband had extreme anxiety about the wedding photos not to mention that he does not like taking pictures in general. I needed a photographer that would put my husband at ease and make both of us feel comfortable. Shaun was nice enough to meet us over beer to talk about our vision for the wedding and to just get to know more about us as a couple. Shaun was extremely communicative with us throughout the process and he made me feel at ease from the first phone call. He has years of experience and beyond that, he just let's you be you. He showed up on time at the venue and was ready to go. He knew exactly what photos we would want and he even asked us if there were any photos/poses that he didn't take that we really wanted. We hired him and an assistant for about 8 hours and it was so worth it! They got photos of everything from the first look to details to the ceremony and the reception. Honestly, the photos were the best investment! I will cherish these photos and I will always have them to look back on the happiest day of our lives! read more

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My husband and I were married earlier this year and were lucky to find a photographer who was able to capture us in our most natural behaviors: laughing and having fun with our family and friends. Shaun Hagen was so easy to communicate with and very helpful with guiding us with the process and vision for our pictures. Shaun was a man of his word and stayed on top of his promised deadlines for a wide variety of edited photos. I commend Shaun on his organizational skills and the above and beyond customer service that my husband and I experienced every step of the way. If you're looking for a photographer who has great vision with using natural and architectural surroundings, Top Shelf Photography is definitely a photographer to consider. Thank you again! read more

Top Shelf Photo - Event Photography Near Me