
Meet Joseph Hill, a perpetually upbeat photographer with autism.
On any given day, Joseph can be seen snapping pictures of the people and places that define the culture of downtown Southern Pines, where almost everyone knows him by name. He is on a mission to spread positivity and prove that people with autism and autism spectrum disorders can be successful artists and entrepreneurs.
Joseph is currently a freelance photojournalist for The Pilot newspaper and serves as the exclusive photographer for the Southern Pines Welcome Center, which sells merchandise featuring his images. He also works part-time at the Southern Pines Public Library.
His inspirational story has been told in the pages of local publications including The Pilot, PineStraw Magazine and The Sway, as well as on the podcast Beyond 6 Seconds. Joseph himself has shared his story as a public speaker for The Arc of Moore County, a nonprofit that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I don’t want to be better than anyone else,” Joseph says of his photography. “I just want to show that as a person with autism, I have what it takes.”