Latest Posts

durham nc engagement photography | krystina & justin

Autumn is upon us and that means it's peak season for weddings and engagement sessions! The vast majority of people who book me mention they do so as they like my use of available light and my documentary style, but also want a few relaxed portraits together. Obviously, when we take photos like this, the whole documentary approach has to go out of the window, but I do want my engagement photos to capture the true personalities and dynamics of each couple and their relationships. To do this, I look for the light, position my couples in that light, and then throw out some ideas in order to get a reaction, or not, as the case may be. I also try ...

Engagements September 23, 2019

September 23, 2019 ● Engagements

monumental church & vmfa richmond wedding – mary catherine & peter

I shoot most of my weddings in Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill, so it was really great to get the chance for a change of scenery and head up to Richmond for Mary Catherine and Peter's Monumental Church & VMFA Richmond wedding a few weeks ago. You'll see from the photos that there was quite a variety to the look and feel of each of the settings throughout the day. From the getting ready at the salon and the hotel, through to the ceremony at the Monumental Church (built in 1814) and the reception in the Marble Hall of the VMFA, it really was a photographer's dream. As always, I took a very photojournalistic approach to photographing ...

Richmond Wedding Photographer September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019 ● Richmond Wedding Photographer

About

Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill NC Wedding & Portrait Photographer | Joe Payne Photography

Hi, my name’s Joe and I’m a British-born Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill NC wedding photographer documenting weddings in and around Raleigh and across North Carolina. My speciality is modern wedding photography based on a fusion of documentary photojournalism and fine art portraiture.

My approach to wedding photography is very much based on a photojournalistic or documentary style. Every wedding is different and that should be reflected in your photos. So on your wedding day, rather than directing, I aim to be as unobtrusive as possible in order to capture the authentic moments and true character of your wedding day. I complement this with relaxed, yet artistic, portraiture that captures the personality and relationship of each couple. The end result is a timeless visual documentation of your wedding day as it really was.

If you’re interested in learning more, please take a look around the galleries, check out the latest weddings on the blog and feel free to reach out and get in contact. I would love to chat with you and go over your plans for your wedding day.

All the best with the wedding planning!

Cheers,

Joe

Wedding Photojournalism

Joe’s distinctive style draws on his unique background growing up in England and studying Fine Art in Spain. You can read more about his documentary-style approach to wedding photography here.

Artistic Portraiture

Along with documenting the unique moments of the day, Joe works with his couples to set aside time for a relaxed & natural portrait session. No awkward posing or cheesy setups, just you being you. There’s a story behind this if you want to…

MEET JOE

Personalized Service

Joe’s services are in high demand, but he limits the amount of weddings he shoots in order to personally hand-finish every single image that leaves the studio, design albums and provide a high level of customer service to his select clientèle.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

Style

My work is known for its combination of creative use of available light, composition and emotion to create authentic and soulful photographs for you to look back on with your family in the years to come. Check out my galleries here and feel free to browse through some of the sample weddings here.

Get In Touch!

Don’t be shy! I love hearing from new couples looking to plan their wedding photography.

Just click on the link, give me a ring or drop me an email…

CONTACT JOE

Reviews & Awards

Since opening my studio in 2009, my focus has been on delivering stunning wedding photography backed by top-notch customer service. This has led me to receive consistently rave reviews from my clients and I was awarded “Best of Weddings” by The Knot and “Bride’s Choice Awards” by Wedding Wire in my first year as a wedding photographer in Raleigh. I was also awarded “Photographer of the Year” by the Wedding & Portrait Society for 2012 and “Best Photography 2013” and “Best Photography 2014” by the Triangle chapter of the National Association of Catering and Events. As a result, I have quickly become one of the most highly sought-after wedding photographers in North Carolina.