Joe Payne Photography

moment! He is professional, cheerful, took charge and knew how to utilize the light to create stunning photos. Highly recommend!

edible. He is an artist with a long veil! Joe also captured some wonderful photos at the reception and on the dance floor that I never expected would turn out so well! He has a laid-back personality which is a much-needed calming influence during some very stressful times. I can’t thank him enough for putting up with a stressed-out bride, mothers/fathers, and an “energetic” bridal party 😊. You can relax knowing Joe will create great shots! Joe is really willing to make any photos you have in mind a reality. He made it very easy to have engagement photos where my husband and I met (small college in Massachusetts) and day-of photos at my parents’ house. I didn’t know that I wanted photos from the rehearsal until about one month beforehand - Joe was even flexible enough to shoot our rehearsal at the last minute! He will also send out a questionnaire before the big day to make sure you get the wedding photos that you want most. I am still in awe of Joe and how beautiful our pictures turned out. Definitely book Joe for your wedding!!

on, which was super lucky as he is in high demand. His expertise in documentary and portrait style photography is immediately evident in his online portfolio, and completely sets him apart from other wedding photographers. His use of lighting and composition is simply STUNNING. When I called to inquire about his availability, Joe’s warmth and easy-going nature came through even over the phone. He met in person with my (now) husband and I, and sent us a detailed questionnaire to get to know us better and make sure he understood exactly what was most important to us to capture that day. Our other vendors were also excited to learn we hired Joe, as they enjoyed working with him previously. On the wedding day Joe and Richard were right on time and both had a great sense of humor that put everyone at ease. We wanted a full hour for our first look since we don’t have a lot of great photos of us as a couple. Joe scoped out sites all around the venue earlier that week to take full advantage of the time. We took a few formal family photos, mostly before the ceremony, so we were able to make it to most of our cocktail hour. The majority of the event I didn’t even notice he was there and was able to just relax and enjoy the time with my guests. Both Joe and Richard worked SO hard. They were down on the floor, up on chairs, constantly moving around the room, whatever was needed to get the most unique shots. They really did the beauty of our venue justice (The Cotton Room), but it is the intense emotion they captured from so many of our friends and family that we will truly treasure forever. Joe did a fantastic job editing the close to 900 photos he shared with us. The turnaround was impressive (6 weeks), especially considering this was peak wedding season and included a holiday weekend. Bottom line, it is SO critical to hire a wedding photographer with a lot of experience in the particular style that draws you in. For us, we wanted a more artistic and authentic representation of our day and there was no question Joe was the best choice for this. We are giddy about the results and can’t wait to share the photos with everyone with love.

amazing as expected. His style captures real life moments and great lighting. I would highly recommend Joe Payne Photography. Thank you so much Joe!

ous moments perfectly, but he also did a great job wrangling my large bridal party. We were married at Duke and had the reception in Chapel Hill and he knows both towns (& the best places to shoot photos) like the back of his hand, which made for fantastic scenery for the photos. He was with us every step of the way throughout the entire day and handled everything with kindness and professionalism. Thank you Joe!!!

s a high priority for us. As we reviewed all of the photographers' websites, Joe emerged as the clear frontrunner because of how beautifully he leverages natural light in his work and how nicely he captures genuine emotions. Meeting him on a video call further reinforced that he was a great fit for us because he is down-to-earth and has a great sense of humor but also takes the quality of his work very seriously. Joe ended up doing both our engagement photographs and our day-of wedding photography. He has a very well-organized process for gathering information about couples' styles and the types of photographs that they want leading up to the wedding through distributing periodic and detailed online forms, which made communicating everything to him super easy for us. Joe also set aside some time to grab a drink with us before our engagement photographs and get to know us, which was an excellent idea and helped further refine his understanding of relationship dynamic, which we feel really contributed to the quality of our photos. We don't have formal photographs taken of us very often and knowing that that is the case with most people who get engaged and married, he was also awesome at making us feel comfortable and providing clear and helpful instructions to us about how we should stand, pose, and interact to get the best shots. On the day of our engagement pictures, his commitment to getting the lighting perfect and varying it for different settings was also seriously impressive-- we moved around quite a bit and the variety of the resulting work product was lovely. On the day of our wedding, it was raining on and off and Joe was super flexible and patient with the way in which the circumstances threw our original schedule off. In the end, we got a bunch of stunning rain-free photos and also got a few bonus artsy ones that featured a bit of rain, which we loved. The wedding party echoed our opinion that Joe was wonderful to work with and made everyone feel so comfortable, which contributed to the overall positive vibe of the day. The pictures that Joe delivered from our wedding were the perfect balance of traditional group portraits, shots of the decor and details that we valued capturing after having spent so much time wedding planning, and a lot of great candids. He captured my desired aesthetic of a little bit of glamour, romance, and tradition and a lot of fun in the most gorgeous way. Long story short, hiring Joe was a no-brainer for us and a choice that we would make again and again if we could do things all over! :)

credible compositions and makes people feel comfortable in front of the camera. He worked HARD on the wedding day and was somehow everywhere at once while never drawing attention to himself. He was always very prompt, whether responding to our initial inquiry or quickly getting our final images to us. He was responsive to our hopes for the day and offered guidance when we were unsure about something. We planned a Durham wedding from afar, and Joe made the process simple and enjoyable. His work speaks for itself, but we can happily say that at a time when everyone seems to have a digital camera, Joe is the most worthwhile investment for your special day. He turned beautiful moments into lifelong memories and captured the unique essence of our day. No stock images here. We cannot recommend him highly enough!

eel comfortable from the very beginning and took the time upfront to get to know who we are as individuals and as a couple, as well as our expectations for our photos. He was patient when we didn't know where to put our hands and taught us how not to be super awkward. He even made it fun to be all dressed up and taking photos while sweating bullets on a typical North Carolina summer day. Watching Joe do his thing was actually something I got a few moments to sit back and watch on our wedding day. He works tirelessly to find just the right angle, backdrop, and light. His passion is evident in the service he provides to his clients and in the final products that he creates. We can't wait to work with Joe again in the future for other special moments in our lives.

e had our day captured by him! Throughout our wedding planning journey, he was incredibly responsive, available to discuss our questions, communicated clearly with us, and did an awesome job of planning with us on the front end so that we went into the day with a thoughtful plan of the day's photography. On the day of our wedding, Joe was absolutely amazing and captured so many incredible shots that we will keep for a lifetime. We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting Joe and working with him, and can't wait to find any other occasion to work with him again! We would highly recommend him, without any reservation!

s. We are very happy we chose him for our special day. He provided a good balance of posed photos and more artistic portraits and candids.

ons that were definitely off the beaten path. The day of, he was respectful of every wish and need I had during our photo sessions. Joe captured some of the most amazing and artistic shots from our wedding day, and we could not have been happier with our choice of photographer. Our photos were ready in 4 weeks and when we ordered a large portrait to hang in our home, he drove from Raleigh to Greensboro to hand deliver it. We will definitely be using Joe as our photographer in the future as or family grows.

s! During the ceremony he climbed all over that mountain to create beautiful photos. He clearly understands light, color, and perspective. In his photos I feel beautiful and our venue appears stunning! I also want to note that Joe was tireless! He was committed to the process for so many hours with a bright and enthusiastic demeanor. He certainly outlasted the bride! Thank you Joe for seeing us through my special day, even if it was a driving mist a mile high! :D

touch that you do not find in a generic studio backdrop. If you want truly unique and gorgeous bridal or wedding photos then you will certainly get this from Joe. His easygoing personality makes him great to work with and he helps give direction for brides that aren't quite sure which poses and angles are best. I am a very happy bride.

ing Joe for amazing photos.

ngover from the night before. He was so accommodating of our delayed schedule and took it in stride. He was everything we hoped for and we are so very pleased with how all of the photos turned out. My husband and I would 200% recommend Joe Payne Photography for any of your photography needs!!

his work looked more like it needed to be up in a gallery rather than collecting dust in a photo-book on a forgotten shelf in the house. Flat-out, Joe’s work is nothing short of spectacular. He manages to capture not just the important moments and pivotal people, but also the spirit and emotions behind each moment. Joe has a perfect vision for his work, and ensures that vision is captured in his photographs. He savors the critical moments, but isn’t hesitant to step in and direct the scene if people aren’t cooperating as necessary - a lifesaver for staying on a tight wedding schedule. The bottom line: if you want a wedding album that will inundate your facebook with “like” notifications, hire Joe.

grapher for us. Meeting him and having him photograph our engagement, bridal and wedding portraits was the best decision ever. Joe is easy-going and makes you feel relaxed even in the most unnatural of positions. Not only did everyone look fantastic, but Joe's keen eye and creativity made for some truly one-of-a-kind shots! My best advice is to book Joe early, he is in high demand and worth every penny!

f looking for a photographer. I called him to feel him out and I remember at the end of our conversation I knew without a doubt that he was the photograph I wanted. He is not only personable and knowledgeable but he sticks to his values which I really appreciated. During our conversation (10 months before my wedding) I mentioned how I really wanted to try to get a couple sunset pictures if we could and he googled what time the sun would set on my wedding day and what time would be best to try to take some sunset pictures. I'm sure it was as easy as plugging my wedding date into google, but I really liked his approach on it. I had also mentioned how I had seen some pictures where the sky was crazy colors and this is where he let me know that he could enhance the colors that are there but if the sky is blue he isn't going to paint it yellow and purple and I honestly loved that he has those standards and sticks with them. After seeing his picture and talking with Joe, he was hired! I was telling everyone that if I could get one picture like the ones that were on his blog I'd be a happy camper! Now my wedding day... Joe is extremely professional and friendly. You can sense his love and passion for what he does. He is willing to climb or lay down on the ground to get the shot that he's looking for too! He's like a sniper of a photographer, he just has an eye for it and runs with it. Joe made me feel so comfortable and confident in knowing that he was capturing our day for us. The pictures I have seen so far are beyond incredible! He gives you some 'sneak peeks' shortly after your wedding which is great and the picture that I have seen so far, WOW is all I have to say. I've definitely gotten the 'picture like the website' that I was hoping for and then some. My expectations have been far exceeded!!! I can't wait to see the rest of my pictures but I already know that I'm going to be thrilled! I would recommend Joe to anyone and everyone that wants a photographer that loves and cares about what he is doing and really enjoys being a part of your wedding knowing how important of a day it is. Joe really was a sniper behind the camera, he was behind the scenes capturing your day yet right there for you if you had any questions. Joe, thank you sooooo much for documenting our wedding day for us and doing what you love to do. I loveeee our pictures!! Oh and btw I think I'll tell Wayne to 'seize your wife mate' forever 😊 haha thank you again for everything!!!

is personality and flexibility worked perfectly with our hard to "wrangle" wedding party/family. He was responsive and professional in both our correspondence and in-person communication. He was also true to his timeline of picture turn around. We'll definitely be reaching out to Joe for future events!

l photographers. After initially emailing with Joe, we thought he was out of our price range and weren't sure we were going to work with him, even though we loved his work. Joe called us a few days after we initially contacted him and worked with us to accommodate both what we wanted and our budget and I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out! Joe is an extremely talented photographer, easy to work with, prompt, and professional. He knows how to make you feel comfortable and how to get the best photos possible. He worked with us throughout the planning process to make sure he understood what type of wedding we were having and what we wanted out of our photographs. Our photographs are amazing and I am so glad we will have them forever to remember our wedding day! Joe's work speaks for itself, but I would recommend Joe to any newly engaged couple!

, we had a few drinks together and he explained his style and prices and was very straightforward. He even altered one of his packages for us so we could get exactly what we wanted. He is professional, prompt and takes his work very seriously. Joe took my bridal portraits a month before the wedding and he did a great job keeping me comfortable and smiling throughout the session. He returned photos to us in record time and we were able to pick pictures to print before the wedding. Joe stayed in close contact with us throughout the planning process and made sure we were all on the same page for the day of the wedding. And we were. Everything was perfect. The pictures from the wedding are absolutely magnificent. I can't stop looking at them! The moments he captured from the ceremony and the reception are so special and real. I know Joe's photos will keep us smiling and remembering our big day for the rest of our lives. I would highly recommend him to any bride!

with our engagement and wedding photos. They are so beautiful and captured many special moments of the day. Joe is relaxed and friendly but extremely professional. During the planning process, he was very helpful with any questions I had, and he was always quick with communications. On the day of the wedding, he even gave us a ride from the ceremony to the picture taking site. It was so great to have Joe as our wedding photographer, and I highly recommend him. You won't be disappointed!

irst time Mark and I sat down with Joe at Hibernian, we knew his personality was the best fit for us! He made us feel comfortable and at ease. Immediately we trusted him. After our engagement session down town Raleigh, he had by far proved to us that he was the right man for the job! He did't make us do cheesy stuff, which we both hate, and the session flew by. Neither my husband nor I like to have our pictures taken, but there was never a time during the entire engagment session where we were wishing it would end! Joe has a remarkable talent for capturing people in the moment. All of our pictures showed us (just better looking versions), being ourselves, in the moment, and neither of us have ever taken that many good photos in our life! Before the engagement session I was nervous about how our wedding pictures would turn out. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on pictures and then not like any of them. (neither of us are photogenic) After I saw what Joe was capable of doing, with little to no effort on our part, I knew that we could relax about the wedding day. It was so nice to finally see the moments from our wedding day that Joe had captured. He seemed to be everywhere but completely unnoticed, capturing literally-picture perfect moments! Besides his amazing ability to take once in a life time pictures, he is very efficient and had the best prices in town. Our album was ready for us the day before we returned from our honeymoon. Not many people work that hard anymore these days! Joe was truly a blessing and we WILL have him shoot every other special event in our lives

s the right photographer for us. I left it to my bride-to-be to make the final decision and she quickly fell in love with Joe’s photography. Every time Joe posted a new set of images on his blog, she would tell me about them and how much she liked them. She was thrilled when it was our turn and immediate shared the link to Joe’s blog with everyone! Joe’s photos speak for themselves but they cannot convey his personality and the way he conducts himself. He is very personable, unobtrusive, and was receptive to what we wanted for our photography. It was important to us to be able to enjoy our day and as requested Joe moved quickly through our formals and we were back enjoy our wedding day in its entirety. I had high expectations and Joe’s photos exceeded them as he captured all the emotion of the day just as it happened. I have now known Joe as a client and colleague and my wife and I both consider him a friend. Choose Joe as your photographer and will be forever thankful that you did!

eeting with Joe, we did an engagement photo shoot. We walked around the Duke Gardens (where our reception was held) and Joe had us just talk to each other and relax. Neither of us is particularly fond of posed photos and while you may have to move a little more into the light from time to time, Joe works very hard to make everything as natural and relaxing as possible. We loved our engagement photos (we even put them in our sign in book to make a special photo album) and were confident our wedding photos would be the same. Joe did not disappoint. Our initial concern with the photographer was that he might distract us from the significance of the day; Joe was very receptive to this concern. The wedding photos were beautiful and not only captured the people, but he captures the entire scene, which adds tremendously to the impact of the photo and ultimately has allowed us to more vividly re-experience the day. Joe's candid shots of wedding guests were also fantastic and complete the whole set of photos so that taken together we had a wonderful sense of the day. We are so glad that we found Joe and are excited to recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer.

e wedding, this part was crucial. I happened to see some of Joe's pictures online and loved them. Meeting him and having him photograph our wedding was the best thing ever.... I personally hate photographs and think that I look quite terrible in most of them (I know there are quite a few girls out there in my shoes), but Joe is simply a magician. Not only did everyone look picture perfect but the camera angles and the timing of those photos were incredible. My husband agrees and he used to be a docu-film maker. I still don't know how one person could have been in so many places at once. Best decision I ever made.....totally worth it!

s since we were not hiring a videographer and he did just that! Every picture he took was not only beautiful, but captured the joy of the day. As a side note, personally I am a terrible subject for pictures because everytime I'm in front of the camera I feel awkward, so I was amazed seeing pictures of myself that made me look natural. He did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and he honored my Mom's only request that he not stand at the very front of the ceremony snapping pictures left and right which is a problem we had at my sister's wedding. Her photographers took good pictures but had no concern interrupting the ceremony. All in all Joe was very professional and we could not be happier with our pictures.

tch was perfect. My family had a mix of family members who spoke English and Spanish and Joe knew both very well and was able to communicate with my family and make everyone comfortable. The pictures were amazing and it was incredible he did the whole event by himself. Each picture does tell its own story of the event and brings us so many good memories. He really captured the beauty of our location at Lake Lure NC (and my bride as well !!). He was on time, professional (yet fun and friendly), and really worked with us to get the best shots and processing options after the event for a great value. Too bad I won't need and don't plan on getting married again, but if we ever do a re-vow, we'll give Joe a call to make sure we have the best photos possible.

g in still shots - every time we look at the photos we're brought back to that incredibly joyous and special day. He was open to our ideas, but I think it works best when you let him do his thing - our pictures are proof. He is the consummate professional and incredibly gifted - we would hire him again in a heartbeat.

what a great decision we had made. Joe was just as professional as he was personable; we can certainly say that we gained a friend in the process of working with him. Not to mention that the price for the quality of his photography was unmatched. Our wedding has come and gone but we couldn't be happier with our photos, as they truly illustrate the day in the natural, beautiful way that we remember it. We appreciate Joe as an artist and believe that we couldn’t have picked a better photographer to tell the story of our wedding.

my husband and I couldn't be happier with our whole experience with Joe. He went above and beyond what we ever expected and was so much fun to work with. Our pictures turned out amazing! Both the engagement pictures and the wedding pictures couldn't have been any better. I've seen a lot of engagement and wedding pictures that look so cheesy and posed and I knew that is not what we wanted at all. Joe's pictures turned out so natural and he was able to capture special little moments that never could be just posed for. He also had this ability to just fad into the background. We hardly even knew he was there; he was able to keep our special moments between the two of us special and unobtrusive. But probably our favorite thing about Joe was that by the end of this he was our friend. We felt like he was a guest at our wedding, not a vendor. We really could not have asked for more or be any happier with the whole experience. Thank you Joe!!

lanned. Joe delivered excellent quality photos that were composed and lit superbly. I would not hesitate to choose him again or refer him to any friends looking for a photographer. He was also very easy to deal with and was flexible to make sure we had the package we needed.

throughout the planning period. Our family and friends loved meeting and working with him at the wedding and we were all even happier once we saw the pictures! They pictures all look beautiful and he did a wonderful job capturing all the special moments of the day. Stephen and I couldn't have been happier!

he stayed for the whole event to get the important moments. He is bilingual! which was a great help because all my family speaks Spanish. And the pictures came out beautify! we are getting all types of compliments!

'm going through the day all over again. Joe is incredibly personable, which is important considering that this person is with you the whole time. Did I say the photos are GORGEOUS? Yep, they are.

day went so smoothly. Our photos really are amazing, they capture our day perfectly. Joe's unique style truly reflected the emotions from our wedding day. Joe was very professional yet friendly, patient, enthusiastic, and extremely talented! We certainly hope to work with Joe again in the future and would be honored to refer him to all engaged couples! !

s such a variety in the pictures and he was able to capture the colors of fall and sunset brilliantly.