Latest Posts

21c museum hotel durham wedding – kortne & terry

I closed out 2018 right back at the very spot I began the year last January: the fab 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Durham, NC. Back then it was for Brandy & Gabe's big day, this time it was for Kortne & Terry's 21c Museum Hotel wedding, which just happened to fall on New Year's Eve. So I saw in the New Year with this fabulous couple and the party was still raging when I left around 1am. Kortne & Terry had mentioned they wanted a Gatsby theme for their wedding and the vintage vibe of the night, along with the classic look of Kortne's dress and Terry's white tuxedo jacket definitely came through in the images. Big congrats and tha ...

21c hotel durham weddings February 19, 2019

February 19, 2019 ● 21c hotel durham weddings

carolina inn & duke chapel wedding – kathleen & michael

Happy New Year, everyone! What better way to head into the home straight of my 2018 season and kick off the blog for 2019 than with a classic in the form of Kathleen & Michael's Carolina Inn & Duke Chapel wedding? This truly was a gorgeous day in all senses of the word: beautiful venues, fabulous weather, and lovely people - it truly had it all. Erin and I started the day with Kathleen & Michael at the Carolina Inn, where they were staying and where they would return for the reception later in the day. The Carolina Inn really was looking great with its Christmas décor and it has some great little places hidden away to provi ...

Carolina Inn Weddings January 24, 2019

January 24, 2019 ● Carolina Inn Weddings

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.

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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.