Engagement shoot with a movie star
Aja Naomi King & Dan King
„FOLLOWING YOUR GUT“
There are days you remember for the rest of your life, whether from the deepest grief, overwhelming love, or simply because the universe decided to be exceptionally kind.
In the middle of wedding season, while preparing for a two-day wedding in the Wachau, Dan reached out asking if I had time for a quick meeting and maybe a shoot, on a Thursday evening. My first instinct was to say no: I was already heading to the Wachau Friday through Sunday, which meant one less evening with my family. But Aja and Dan had traveled all the way from the US, our conversation had been genuinely warm, and something inside me kept pushing me to say yes.
My wife Edisa encouraged me too — and so I went.
When I arrived at the Winterstellgut, Dan was already waiting. We immediately clicked. Aja joined us shortly after, and the moment she did, I knew this was going to be an extraordinary shoot.
After a wonderful conversation, we took a walk in the evening sun and I photographed one of my favorite sessions in years.
It matters to listen to your gut — and to go the extra mile whenever you can.
The funny part of this story? I had no idea who Aja was. Dan had been quite discreet on the phone, and even in person the topic of work never really came up. From the very first minutes I was struck by how naturally and effortlessly Aja shone in front of the camera. I did what I always do, encouraged, gave gentle feedback, kept the energy up, and simply couldn’t stop giving compliments.
Looking back, I feel a little silly for coaching someone as camera-experienced as Aja Naomi King through a shoot. It was only a few days later, when I asked for permission to publish the images, that I found out Aja was an actress and that we needed to hold the photos back because the engagement hadn’t been made public yet. It was a surreal feeling.
Aja has appeared in series such as Emily Owens and How to Get Away with Murder, and in films including Birth of a Nation and The Intouchables. She is also a brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris and has graced the covers of Vanity Fair, Elle, Glamour, Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Shape, and Marie Claire. Oh, and over a million Instagram followers.
You can imagine how speechless I was when I found all of that out.
Unfortunately, their wedding was postponed due to the pandemic but we stayed in touch, and I hope to one day have the honor of photographing Aja and Dan on their wedding day.
Planning a wedding in Salzburg, Austria, or anywhere in Europe? Get in touch →
More from Winterstellgut Aja and Dan weren’t the only couple I had the pleasure of photographing at this magical location. → Wedding at Winterstellgut
Location: Winterstellgut ( https://www.winterstellgut.at )
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