Raleigh NC Wedding & Portrait Photographer Blog: Joe Payne Photography

raleigh portrait photographer – chad biggs events shoot

Portraiture September 20, 2017

I was first introduced to Chad Biggs and his team back in September 2014, after shooting co-founder and lead planner, Jessica's, wedding the previous month. Since then, I've had the pleasure of working with them on a number of weddings both at Melrose Knitting Mill and in other venues. To me, they've always been really great people to work with: totally on their game with regard to the planning and nailing all the little details, but they've also been really fun and friendly people to spend time with too, which is great given the pressures of working on such mentally demanding events as weddings. So it was great to get a call from Jessica ear ... READ MORE

duke gardens wedding photography – elizabeth’s bridal session

Bridal Session September 19, 2017

Back in the early spring, I spent an afternoon with the lovely Elizabeth shooting her bridal photos ahead of her wedding this summer. When Elizabeth had originally contacted me, she was looking to do a session that would allow her to pay homage to her late mother, whose veil she would be wearing on her wedding day. We took that concept and ran with it as the base for the session. When we met up, I also found Elizabeth's elegant look to be reminiscent of a 50's film star, so that played into the mood and feel of some of the images. Incorporating these themes along with the spring colours into the session, I think we came away with something pr ... READ MORE

Duke Chapel Weddings - Bride and Groom against Chapel Silhouette

duke chapel & bay 7 wedding – margo & patrick

Duke Chapel Weddings September 7, 2017

July closed itself out in style with the fabulous Duke Chapel and Bay 7 wedding of Margo and Patrick, who all you avid readers of this blog might remember from their engagement shoot this past spring. Well, this was their big day, I was really looking forward to it, and it didn't disappoint. Margo and Kathy at Sally Oakley Weddings & Events had done a great job liaising with me to plan the timeline and so we had plenty of time for the getting ready shots at the WaDuke, followed by a first look and group photos at Duke Gardens before heading to the chapel for more portraits and the ceremony itself. The reception at Bay 7 was a lot of fun w ... READ MORE

duke chapel wedding photos – sara & ross

Duke Chapel Weddings August 16, 2017

When you have such an amazing couple as Sara and Ross whose love and happiness at getting married is so evident, you can't possibly have a bad day. Add in Duke Chapel and Hope Valley Country Club as venues, an amazing team of vendors, bright sunshine and a monsoon-like storm in the space of a couple of hours, and you know it's going to be a very special day indeed. If you stop by my blog regularly, you might be familiar with Sara from her Duke Chapel bridal photography session, which I posted a few weeks back. She is such a lovely, warm, happy soul and it was so great to see her unleash that beautiful smile all throughout her wedding day. ... READ MORE

umstead wedding photography – pascale & tim

Umstead Weddings July 21, 2017

Three distinct cultures came together last month at Pascale and Tim's Umstead wedding: with Lebanese and Japanese elements intertwined with a traditional American wedding there were so many beautiful moments and pretty details to take in. From the getting ready with the always-amazing Stephanie at The MakeUp Culture, to the first look on the boardwalk, the ceremony overlooking the lake, through to the reception with its origami details, traditional Lebanese drum band, confetti-enhanced cake-cutting and plenty of dancing courtesy of the talented DJ Rang, it was a great day to be a wedding photographer. Everything was put together brilliantl ... READ MORE

duke chapel wedding photography – sara’s bridal session

Bridal Session July 10, 2017

Sara & Ross tied the knot in a truly beautiful wedding at Duke Chapel this past Saturday and I'm looking forward to sharing some images from their gorgeous day really soon. In the meantime, I'm pleased to be able to share some photos from Sara's recent bridal photography session. This was a fun but challenging shoot as it started raining pretty heavily just a few minutes into the session and then rained off and on for the duration. This meant that we were restricted to shooting under cover a lot of the time, which forced me to think differently and get creative to obtain the widest variety of images possible whilst keeping Sara and her be ... READ MORE

duke gardens wedding photography – jordan & zeke

Duke Gardens Weddings June 30, 2017

A gorgeous day in a beautiful location with great people. That pretty much sums up the vibe of Jordan and Zeke's wedding at Duke Gardens earlier this month. Readers of the blog will recognise Jordan from her bridal photographs that I shot a few days before the wedding. She made such an elegant bride, and I think you'll agree that her groom, Zeke, cut a pretty dapper figure too. Congrats to them both and best wishes for the future! Big thanks to all the great people that collaborated to make the day such a success: Ceremony & Reception: Sarah P Duke Gardens, Durham, NC | Event Coordination: Grace Beason, Grace Leisure Events, Durham, ... READ MORE

melrose knitting mill wedding – natalie & elliot

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism June 27, 2017

Well, wedding season is in full swing and there's a lot going on over here in the studio, so it's just a quick post and run today. But I really wanted to take a moment to share Natalie and Elliot's wedding as it was such a fun day to shoot from start to finish. Mad props to Jessica at Chad Biggs Events for putting together such a great team of people to work with (see below for details) and working with me to draw up such a great timeline in order to explore the mill and surrounding area to get some pretty unique shots for Natalie and Elliot to look back on in the years to come. Congrats to them both! Here is the amazing team of people tha ... READ MORE

borden building raleigh wedding photographer – britne & calebe

Wedding Photography June 21, 2017

Britne and Calebe's wedding was a real coming together of cultures. With Caleb and his family hailing from Brazil, and Britne being from right here in the gold ol' USA, there was definitely a really fun vibe to this wedding. Britne wrote out and learnt her own personal vows in Portuguese, which was a surprise to Caleb and a very touching moment of the ceremony. We were blessed with a perfect sunny spring day for the ceremony outside at the Borden Building in Fred Fletcher Park in downtown Raleigh. Here are just a few of my faves from their day... READ MORE

durham engagement session – annie & yuriy

Engagements June 20, 2017

Shooting at golden hour is photographer nirvana. Most of the time, that means shooting at sunset, especially in the summer months when sunrise is so early in the morning. Shooting at sunrise in June, though, you get the benefit of cooler temperatures than in the afternoon and the fact most people are still in bed, so places that would otherwise be teeming with people are pretty much empty. So it was great to be able to meet up with Annie & Yuriy early in the morning a week or so back to shoot around Duke Chapel and Sarah P. Duke Gardens, where they will be getting married in a few short months. As you can see below, we pretty much had bot ... READ MORE

duke chapel weddings – lara & juice

Duke Chapel Weddings June 13, 2017

Duke Chapel weddings are always a pleasure to shoot and Lara and Juice's big day was certainly no exception! It started with Lara getting ready in a beautiful suite at the Washington Duke Inn and ended with her riding the mechanical bull at Shooters! Along the way, we also stopped by Duke Chapel for the ceremony and The Cotton Room for the reception. Suffice to say, it was a pretty amazing day! Lara and Juice planned their wedding from NYC and were ably assisted on the day by Casey at Events by La Fête. Huge thanks to Casey and her team for all her help making the day run smoothly. Here's a list of the other fab people that made this day s ... READ MORE

rose hill plantation wedding photographer – jordan’s bridal session

Bridal Session June 12, 2017

My first love, when originally starting out in the wedding photography business, was wedding photojournalism. I was a bit of a purist back then, so documenting moments using available light was really what made me tick and I paid little attention to portraiture and even less to posing, using artificial lighting, etc. But I am driven to always work on and improve my skillset to be able to produce images in a wider range of conditions and styles, especially in the area of portraiture. The bridal photography session, for example, was quite a foreign concept for me when I first moved to North Carolina back in the autumn of 2010. As a Southern tra ... READ MORE

oaks at salem wedding photography – kim & jeff

Wedding Photography May 19, 2017

When Kim originally contacted me in May last year, she hadn't even booked her venue yet, so it was clear photography was a pretty big priority for her. As soon as we spoke, I knew we were on the same wavelength and I was so pleased when she booked me pretty much straight away. Happily, she did select a beautiful venue pretty quickly thereafter! And so it was that a fortnight ago, I took the arduous 6-minute drive from my house to The Oaks at Salem to shoot Kim & Jeff's wedding a couple of weeks ago. We were forecast storms, and it did rain a little in the morning, but I always say to wait and see what happens on the day and we couldn't ... READ MORE

unc chapel hill graduation photographer – lauren’s portraits

Portraiture May 12, 2017

Last week, I headed over to UNC in Chapel Hill to shoot some UNC Chapel Hill graduation photographer portraits for Lauren, who has just graduated with a degree in Business and Dramatic Art. We started off at the Old Well where we took some traditional graduation portraits, before heading for a walk around campus looking for interesting light and areas to shoot some more experimental/dramatic stuff. Here are just a few of my faves from the shoot. READ MORE

duke gardens engagement photography – margo & patrick

Engagements May 8, 2017

A couple of weekends back, I got to spend a few hours in the company of these two lovely people as we took a stroll around the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and West Campus at Duke. It was a pretty warm day and the gardens were slammed with multiple weddings and prom-goers having their photos taken. We did our best to slip the crowds and find our own little areas for some privacy and room to shoot and experiment in. Margo & Patrick were great fun and I'm really looking forward to their Duke Chapel wedding in a couple of months. We took a lot of great pics and it was hard to narrow if down, but here are just a few of my faves from the shoot... ... READ MORE

Umstead-Wedding-Photography-Alex-Marcus-14-3

umstead wedding photographer – alex & marcus

Umstead Weddings March 17, 2017

There are a good number of reasons I love my job as a wedding photographer, and one of those is getting to spend quality time with people like Alexandra & Marcus, their friends and family, on one of the most important days of their lives. When I first met with them a year or so ago, I was immediately struck by their warmth, sense of humour, and how evidently in love they were. Those feelings were all reinforced when I shot Alex's bridal session last autumn and got to meet her mum and Matron of Honour, Lace, who were really great fun, and I was really looking forward to shooting their big day. And so it was that a couple of Saturdays ag ... READ MORE

snowy duke chapel wedding photography – laura & cadman

Duke Chapel Weddings January 27, 2017

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all had a good holiday season and got some quality R&R with your loved ones. Cristel, the kids, and I spent Christmas and New Year with our family down in Panama. We had a great time catching up with everyone and enjoyed our time in the sun by taking a trip to the amazing San Blas islands and lounging by the hotel pool drinking large quantities of Panamanian rum. Fun times! So, it was a bit of a proverbial ice cube down the back when I flew back into RDU for Laura & Cadman's Duke Chapel wedding, only to learn we were expecting up to 8" of snow that day. Yowzers! Luckily, everything on the big d ... READ MORE

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market hall raleigh wedding photography – beth & matt

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism January 11, 2017

Just a quick post before I head out to celebrate my birthday with the family - yay BEER & CAKE! Beth & Matt's downtown Raleigh wedding at Market Hall was my last of the 2016 season and it was a great way to close out the year. Such a lovely couple whose love for each other was evident throughout the day. Combine that with a loving group of family and friends, the fun of shooting in a busy downtown Raleigh while a demonstration was going on, a great venue and awesome vendors, and photo opportunities are bound to be there for taking. Here are just a few of my picks of the pics: &n ... READ MORE

Raleigh-Wedding-Photography-Kate-John-15

raleigh wedding photography – kate & john’s backyard wedding

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism December 23, 2016

Backyard weddings are always great fun to photograph. None more so than Kate & John's nuptials at their new home in north Raleigh. With the sun shining and the autumn foliage on full display, the house and grounds provided a beautiful backdrop for the day. And so it was that, surrounded by their closest friends and family, Kate & John got ready, got married and partied together under their own roof, though we did also manage to get up on top of it for some cool pictures of the couple and their spectacularly lit garden. It was a fabulous day! Here are a few of my picks of the pics from their day. Happy Holidays, everyone!! ... READ MORE

Cloth-Mill-at-Eno-River-Wedding-Photography-Eleanna-Michael-24

cloth mill at eno river wedding – eleanna & michael

North Carolina Wedding Photographer December 18, 2016

There are wedding ceremonies and there are wedding receptions. On Eleanna & Michael's day we had a wedding ceremony that brought together Greek and American traditions: a fun reception complete with great speeches, a rendition to the bride of "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" à-la-Top Gun and a London taxi cab for one of the coolest getaways I've seen for a while (I may be biased though); and a pretty epic after-party featuring some, let's say, interesting clothing choices by the Bride & Groom. Yep, this was truly a fun day to shoot from start to finish. It was a pretty cold and blustery day out at the Cloth Mill at Eno River, whic ... READ MORE

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city club wedding photographer – lauren & adam

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism December 11, 2016

Lauren & Adam's wedding at the City Club in downtown Raleigh was a great way to start off my November. Planned beautifully by the fabulous Emily of Whiskey & White Events, blessed with autumnal sunlight and topped off with a fabulous party courtesy of the amazing band, Fantasy, it was a great day to photograph from start to finish. Not to mention Lauren & Adam, their friends and family are such fun, happy people - you can tell theirs is going to be a long and happy marriage. All the best, guys! Here's a quick recap of the story of Lauren & Adam's special day with just a few of my favourite shots... ... READ MORE

Raleigh-Engagement-Photographer-Kim-Jeff-8-2

raleigh engagement photography | kim & jeff

Engagements November 28, 2016

A couple of weekends ago, I met up with Kim and Jeff for their Raleigh engagement photography shoot at Jeff's parents farm in Fuquay-Varina. We had a couple of beers and then headed out to take some shots as the sun set and the "Super Moon" made its appearance. It was a really lovely evening and we had a lot of fun exploring the light and trying to make each other laugh. Here are just a few of my faves from the shoot... READ MORE

Prestonwood-Country-Club-Weddings-Yasmin-Mike-1-2

prestonwood country club weddings – yasmin & michael

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism November 23, 2016

On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to say how thankful I am to be lucky enough to be able to do what I love for a living. It truly is a great privilege to be able to spend my time documenting people on the happiest days of their lives. To see two families, and often two or more cultures, coming together to form one new union and to be able to photograph that event, is something very special indeed. Case in point: Yasmin and Michael's wedding at Prestonwood Country Club. A wedding that brings together a bride with Pakistani and Philippine roots and a groom with Irish blood is always going to be a recipe for fun! Here are my picks of the pics. ... READ MORE

shady wagon farm wedding photography – danielle & josh

Raleigh Wedding Photojournalism November 11, 2016

Danielle & Josh were married on a gorgeous sunny autumn evening surrounded by their closest friends and family at Shady Wagon Farm in New Hill, NC. There were a lot of great moments throughout the day, from the ceremony, which was officiated by the ever-prepared and personable, Rev. Kayelily Middleton, through to the family formals, the couple's photographs at golden hour and the reception, which featured the fantastic sounds of Six Stylez - definitely one of the best bands I have seen in a while at a wedding. It was a lot of fun watching everyone from the kids to grandparents cutting a rug! As a photographer, I don't think I could ... READ MORE

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carolina inn wedding photography – kristen & matthew (x2)

Carolina Inn Weddings November 4, 2016

In England, we say that rain on your wedding day is good luck, so, that being the case, this couple is truly blessed! Kristen & Matthew's gorgeous wedding took place at The Carolina Inn on October 8th, 2016. This turned out to be a pretty significant date as it is also the day that another Matthew visited us for a pretty intense few hours. Yes, Hurricane Matthew pretty much pulled asunder all the plans we had for the day. Everything from the first look, to the family photos to the couple's photos to the ceremony itself had originally been planned to take place outside, so quite a bit of thinking on feet had to be done by everyone invol ... READ MORE