About John Payne

John’s father gave him a Brownie-style camera when he was about 10 years old. A couple of years later he loaned him one of his Leicas and very kindly paid for the processing of some pretty crappy images.

After graduating from Ithaca College in 1978 with a degree in Communications emphasizing Cinema Studies and Photography, John went to work in New York City in a fashion and still life studio. After about five years he struck out on his own shooting corporate, editorial, and advertising work.

John and his wife, Susan, moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in 1997 with a brand new baby girl in tow. They formed Payne Design Group providing graphic design services for a variety of clients.

Upon retiring, John returned to his photography for fun and art.