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About
Welcome to professional photography at affordable prices!
Servicing the San Diego and southern California area, Top Shelf Photo offers a wide range of photographic services: weddings, engagements, outdoor and studio portraits. You name it, we would love to photograph it! We understand that there are endless options of photography companies and services and we appreciate you checking us out. We strive to create a casual, fun experience that will result in lasting memories.
Background
My name is Shaun Hagen, and I have lived in north San Diego County for most of my life. During the past decade I have taken my camera with me wherever I could. I have traveled throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. To be out in the world, camera in hand; there's nothing better.
For the past few years I have focused the camera more on people. I quickly went from photographing landscapes to photographing babies, couples and weddings. In May of 2011, I was fortunate enough to travel to Paris for my honeymoon, as well as photograph a friend's wedding. It was truly an opportunity of a lifetime.
Education
I graduated from San Diego State University in 2006 with a B.A. degree in Graphic Design. Over the past decade I have taken many photography classes ranging from black & white, color film, classic darkroom methods, and more recently, a variety of digital classes.
Philosophy
I try to approach photography in a very casual manner. I like to capture scenes as naturally as possible. I'm not a big fan of putting people in scenes that look forced and unnatural. I want to showcase the people, the environment, and the emotions of the occasion while interfering as little as possible.
I believe in building relationships with my clients; especially for weddings. I don't like to just show up, shoot some photos and leave. I want everyone involved to be familiar and comfortable with each other, so together we can come up with the best experience and quality photos as possible.
I look forward to capturing your precious moments soon.
Shaun Hagen
760.310.4203
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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!
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Brandon Sent on 05/21/2022
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Outstanding Human & Photographer
Top Shelf Photo (Shaun) is an OUTSTANDING person to work with, vendor, and a true artist. If you are looking for a calm, laid-back, and professional person who will let you be you at your wedding, Shaun is an excellent pick for a photographer. Shaun is not pushy, nor will he force poses, or anything like that. A great example was our first look...Shaun let us enjoy every moment as a couple, and we know it reflects in the photos. While being laid back, Shaun is extremely communicative, dependable, and on top of things. Our favorite part of having Shaun as our photographer is that when he nailed a shot, you could just see him smile and be just as excited as us that a beautiful moment was captured. Shaun was early, flexible, and made sure he extra mile to make our day special. We highly recommend Shaun for any photography. We plan on using him for our future photography as well. Note: We did use a second photographer with Shaun, Johnny, and he was excellent as well!
Joanna Sent on 10/02/2021
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
BEYOND AMAZING Photography, Service and Pricing
Shaun Hagen did an amazing job helping us plan for a wedding during a global pandemic with a military groom. After 3 wedding dates, we finally had my daughter’s wedding September 2021. Shaun knew our venue Bella Collina like the back of his hand. His whimsical creativity, skill with lighting and expertise all shined. I also really appreciated his reasonable pricing and that his mid-range package included engagement session, actual tangible photo book for the wedding couple and some amazing unique shots. You can't go wrong with this vendor.
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Laura Sent on 12/16/2020
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Amazing photographer!
My husband and I worked with Shaun at Top Shelf Photo for our September 2020 wedding and couldn't be any happier. I originally found Shaun through our venue in San Clemente. I reached out to him to get pricing and ask some questions and he was very professional, responsive, and friendly so we decided to move forward with booking him.
We first did an engagement shoot in January 2020 and although my husband and I were very nervous and felt super awkward, he made us feel much more comfortable and had great ideas to get some unique and beautiful pictures.
Our wedding plans changed significantly this year when the pandemic struck and we decided to move forward with a family only micro-wedding at our venue. Even though we had to cancel some vendors, we kept Shaun as our photographer and we are so glad we did. The pictures he took of our special day are absolutely amazing and beautiful! He is so talented and we have been getting non-stop compliments with how incredible our wedding pictures turned out. He captured our day perfectly and we will cherish these pictures forever.
We will definitely be booking Shaun and Top Shelf photo for any future professional/family photos in the future!
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Sarah Sent on 11/01/2020
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Hire Shaun for your next event!
Shaun’s work and portfolio says it all. We found Shaun through a coworker’s recommendation and I’m glad we did. We booked the engagement and wedding day package. It was great meeting him and working with him for the engagement shoot months in advance since it dissolved any nerves on our wedding day. For the engagement shoot at Torrey Pines, we walked pretty far to a secluded area that he knew, but we’re glad we did since we didn’t have anyone in the background of our pictures. He was professional and knew exactly how to position us in front of the camera naturally. On our wedding day, Shaun came to our AirBNB to get detailed shots of us getting ready. Since we met him months prior for the engagement shoot, we were both very comfortable and it felt like we were seeing an old friend. My wife and I felt like movie stars during our wedding since we had a whole crew documenting our day. Shaun brought a second photographer, Ashleigh, who was just as amazing. With the two of them combined, they were able to document every special moment and reaction from our family and friends. They knew exactly where to stand to capture the perfect shot, yet stayed out of the way so our guests had the perfect view. Shaun’s turnaround time was impressive. He was able to edit hundreds of pictures within a week so we were able to relive our wedding day and provided them through an online album for us to download. We cannot recommend Shaun enough, and will definitely hire him for future sessions.
Mick Sent on 07/05/2020
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Top Shelf Lives Up to the Name
My now fiancé and I did a photo shoot with Shaun to capture my proposal, and the overall experience was fantastic! Shaun was professional and responsive with coordinating the surprise photo shoot, and made us feel very comfortable and relaxed throughout the beach setting shoot. Our pics came out amazing, and I would definitely recommend.
P.S. A drink or two before the photo shoot also helps to relax the nerves ; )
Amber Sent on 02/05/2020
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Highly Recommend
Shaun is an absolute rock star! He came highly recommended by a friend and we were not disappointed.
For our engagement shoot, Shaun braved the 32 degree weather in Big Bear and delivered the most beautiful photos I could've ever imagined. My (now) husband and I aren't very camera friendly, and Shaun coached us and talked us through it, making what could be a potentially awkward situation into one that was so easy. He so perfectly captured who we are in our photos.
On the day of our wedding, Shaun helped us stay on time (which is HUGE), and was able to manage all the chaos that comes with having a big family. He was so patient while we tried to wrangle about 30 adults into one family photo, and the results were AMAZING. Shaun is so passionate about his work, and you can see it in the end photos. Both our engagement and wedding albums were delivered so quickly and he stays in constant communication with updates and timelines. Absolutely recommend!!
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Missy Sent on 12/30/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Great Photographer and Fast Turnaround!
We worked with Shaun for our engagements and our wedding. He was easy to work with and captured amazing pictures. A huge fan!
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Staci Sent on 12/16/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Stop scrolling & book Shaun!!
Aside from booking our venue (which directly led us to Shaun), booking Shaun as our photographer was the best decision we made during the wedding planning process. He is amazingly talented - my husband and I are NOT comfortable in front of the camera, and somehow Shaun made us look like we were on the cover of Bridal Magazine. He's seriously that good. All of our family and friends keep gushing about our photos, and we now have wonderful keepsakes from our day that we can look at for the rest of our lives. We booked an engagement shoot with him, which I would recommend doing if you are nervous about getting your picture taken. He is very responsive to emails, and always kind and professional. His portfolio speaks for him, but in case you had any doubts, he is the real deal!! I can't recommend him enough!! Thank you, Shaun!
Katie Sent on 12/18/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Perfectly captured our special day
We loved working with Shaun. I was so lucky to have met him at a bridal expo at my venue, Bella Collina, where he had previously worked. Not only is he an incredible photographer, but he knew our venue inside and out. Over the last year, I followed Bella Collina on instagram, and I was always able to tell when they were featuring one of Shaun's photos. He has an amazing ability to find the light, and his pictures are that much more special. He is so easy going and easy to work with, he isn't pushy at all. He just kind of lets you be with little direction, and is able to capture all of the amazing moments. He is also incredibly responsive, I barely hit send on an email or a text, and I've already heard back from him. I cannot recommend him enough!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
I highly recommend Top Shelf Photography for your wedding and engagement photos. Every photo reflects the happiness and love of bride and groom. Shaun is a true artist in the photo world!
Top Shelf Photo includes the following photography services in the starting price:
Add'l Hours
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Digital Files
Prints
Proofs
Top Shelf Photo includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
Add'l Hours
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Albums
Digital Files
Prints
Proofs
Top Shelf Photo offers the following photography styles:
Contemporary
Photojournalism
Traditional
Top Shelf Photo offers the following photography services for weddings:
Additional Hours
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Top Shelf Photo offers the following photography materials for weddings:
Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Top Shelf Photo is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
