When looking for a wedding photographer, we knew we wanted to work with a someone who would capture the day as it naturally happened, and not try to direct or pose every little moment. After speaking with Joe and looking at his portfolio, we knew instantly that his style and philosophy aligned with ours, and we hired him for our September 2019 wedding. We did not do engagement photos, so the first time I ever met Joe in person was on the wedding day! I knew his photos would be amazing, but he had never shot at our venue, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

Well, let me just say that Joe is an absolute master of wedding photography. There is so much that to being a wedding photographer: you have to keep track of schedules, manage personalities, adapt to the weather, capture every moment in changing conditions, edit thousands of photos, and deliver them in a short time span, among so much else. Joe did all of this, and more, with a level of professionalism and talent that I can’t even comprehend.

First, I’ll talk about the photos. Good god. The sheer number of stunning photos we got back, all of them beautifully edited, is astonishing. Literally thousands of photographs, each of them more beautiful than the last. On our wedding day, we let Joe do his thing and tried not to interject too many specific photo requests. I am so glad we did it that way, because Joe skipped the overdone Pinterest-inspired photos I thought I wanted, and instead shot an array of artistic, unique, and beautifully stylized images that genuinely capture the emotion (and craziness!) of our day. Moreover, Joe individually reviews and edits each photo, which adds so much to the finished product and really sets him apart from other photographers.

Aside from the photos, here are some more things I loved about working with Joe:
• He is prompt and direct in his communication, without fail. He is so on top of his shit, and it makes your life easier as bride/groom.
• He goes with the flow, but is assertive when he needs to be in order to keep things on track.
• He is on time, and he works his butt off the entire day. At one point I was genuinely concerned about how intensely he was working in the heat! Our guests even commented on how he seemed to be everywhere at once!
• He is very experienced and great at problem solving when you need it most. Rain delayed our ceremony and completely ate into our photo time, but he did such a great job of managing the changes and keeping things on track.
• Fabulous British sense of humor.
• The way that he delivers the photos to you is awesome. You can download them all from an online portal, which is an A+ on the user friendliness.

All in all, I just want to thank Joe from the bottom of my heart for how much he contributed to not just our wedding day, but our lives and memories. Our wedding was pretty wild with activity, and he captured every moment from family portraits to fireworks. We will cherish the photos forever. If you are reading this and considering a wedding photographer, I can't recommend Joe enough.

PHENOMENAL wedding photographer! Every photo Joe takes is a work of art, and we have treasured the spectacular images he made for us. He has a great eye for capturing heartfelt moments, utilizing natural light, and working a scene. He is also a joy to work with, which is so important given how much time you will spend together on your wedding day.

Joe put in TONS of effort for our wedding. He delivered over a thousand fully edited, beautiful images; that truly blew us away. Because he invests so much time and effort into each wedding, he does only a limited number of weddings – so book him far in advance! It was the best investment we made.

I couldn't recommend Joe Payne more highly for wedding photography! He is an incredibly talented photographer who has mastered lighting and framing. I especially loved his incredible shots of my wedding veil blowing in the wind (with a little help)! He also did a great job capturing facial expressions and special little moments throughout the day. I felt like I could relax on my wedding day because I trusted him to do a fantastic job, and I was thrilled with my photos.

Joe and his assistant did a phenomenal job capturing our special day. We got married at Duke Gardens, and Joe knows the gardens inside and out - he brought us to the most beautiful bridge for our first look and took incredible photos of us in the bamboo forest and in front of the fountain. Additionally, our ceremony photos with the foliage were beyond what I could have imagined. I especially valued Joe's ability to capture the special, un-posed moments that happened throughout the day and somehow find or provide incredible lighting for all of them. For posed photos, my now-husband especially appreciated Joe's careful direction on how to stand and what to do with his hands.
We feel so lucky that we were able to work with Joe and highly recommend him for anyone looking for a wedding photographer.

Joe was 1000% one of the best decisions we made for the wedding. He works hard, is incredibly kind and absolutely knows what he is doing with the light. He is an artist. Our engagement photos were stunning. I never worried about rain on our wedding day because I knew joe could navigate any situation and take truly beautiful photos of our wedding (which he did). His photos captured many important moments from our wedding that will help us remember our special day.

As an "experienced" mother of a bride and a mother of the groom, I realized how important capturing this special day in photos is to long lasting memories. My daughter and I saw some of Joe's photos online when we were searching for a photographer and after talking with him, knew that he would be one to whom we would entrust this enormous task...and he did not disappoint! Joe's professionalism, kindness, flexibility and artistry are reflected in the beauty of his work.

I hired Joe Payne for my Oct 2020 wedding. Joe Payne was incredible and captured so many special memories. His documentary-style allowed me to be fully present in every moment. He was professional, cheerful, gave great instruction, and knew how to use the light to create stunning images. We love the photos he captured of us, and will cherish them forever. Highly recommend!

I’m actually a professional makeup/ hairstylist and I have worked with Joe many times. Every single time was a truly wonderful experience. He has a way about him that I can’t explain but deeply appreciate.
His eye for capturing a moment that no one else sees is probably ONE OF his best qualities, His personality is the other. I challenge you not to smile while he is in the room!! He is respectful, wildly creative and All about the details.
No need to keep looking , you found the perfect photographer !!! On such a rare day , get you a photographer to match :)
You will NOT regret choosing him.

Joe is the best wedding photographer!! I can’t recommend him enough.

Of course, his photos are stunning! I was originally interested because his photos of Duke Chapel are so incredible. 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!!

We hired Joe for our wedding at Duke Gardens in September 2019. His website won me over instantly and his style of photography. When we inquired more about him doing our wedding he was very down to earth, friendly, and had a great sense of humor over the phone. When it came to our wedding he made sure to get the traditional posed photos and family shots, but his true artistic ability was through the candid shots and how he masterfully took the beauty of the gardens and incorporated them into our photos. Hiring Joe was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Can't wait to look at these photos for years to come.