Margaret Rudinger 6/22/26 Margaret Rudinger 6/22/26

What is Aura Photography?

Aura photography is a portrait of your energy — the field of color that surrounds you — captured on real film. You rest your hands on a set of sensors, the camera reads the energy radiating from your body, and moments later it returns a one-of-a-kind portrait wrapped in the colors that are entirely your own. Simply you, your energy, and the quiet magic of analog film.

How Aura Photography Works

Each session unfolds in three steps.

Before your portrait session begins, we prepare the space and call in the highest vibrations to ensure your aura is captured in its purest form — so it can truly shine bright.

Upon arrival, we'll guide you through placing your hands on two silver hand sensors that measure the electromagnetic frequency radiating from your hands and fingers. Using a proprietary algorithm, your unique energy is matched to a color, and that color is then layered over your portrait as a dual exposure.

After your session, you'll receive an aura color guide along with a brief personalized reading that reveals what the colors in your aura say about your energy in the present moment.

Your aura is a reflection of where you are right now. Much like the ever-changing nature of your emotions, situations, and life circumstances, your colors have the ability to shift and evolve over time — and that is part of the beauty. Each portrait holds the energy of a single, present moment.

What Your Aura Colors Mean

Each color is associated with its own type of energy and personality. Here is a glimpse of what each one tends to express:

Red — grounded, passionate, and ready to act
Orange — sensual, adventurous, and full of life
Yellow — bright, curious, and optimistic
Green — healing, balanced, and growth-minded
Blue — calm, intuitive, and truth-telling
Indigo — perceptive, independent, and imaginative
Violet — visionary, spiritual, and deeply attuned
Pink — tender, loving, and harmonious
Magenta — bold, original, and unconventional
Turquoise — dynamic, intuitive, and a natural healer
White — pure, rare, and spiritually awake

(Tan and rainbow round out the full palette — thirteen colors in all.) It's important to note that colors, shapes, and color combinations all play a significant role in how an aura is interpreted, and not all meanings apply at once. To explore each shade in depth, visit our aura color meaning guide.

What to Expect From Your Aura Session

An aura session is a calm, almost ceremonial experience, and many people find it surprisingly moving. You'll leave with a tangible portrait in hand, a personalized reading of your colors, and the rare gift of seeing your own energy made visible. It photographs beautifully, which is why it has become a cherished addition to weddings, celebrations, brand activations, and corporate events alike.

Where to Experience Soulshine Aura

We bring the aura camera to you across Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and throughout Florida, and we welcome you in person at the Soulshine Studio in Frederick, Maryland. Whether you're visiting us at a pop-up or in our studio, or looking to book us for a corporate event, brand activation, wedding, or other special event, we would love to have you experience your soul in color.

Shine bright. See yourself in a new light.

Margaret Rudinger 6/20/26 Margaret Rudinger 6/20/26

What is An Aura?

You & Your Aura Book & Aura Cam 6000 Sensor

An aura is the field of energy that surrounds every living thing. It is often described as your "vibe" — the energy you carry and project into the world — and it is considered part of the essence of who you are. While you can't see it with the naked eye, the idea is that each of us radiates a personal energy that reflects how we feel, what we've experienced, and where we are in life right now.

Where the Idea of an Aura Comes From

The concept of an aura has appeared across cultures and spiritual traditions for thousands of years. You can see it echoed in the glowing halos painted around sacred figures in religious art, in the idea of life-force energy found in many Eastern practices, and in the long-held belief that the body is surrounded by a subtle field of energy. Different traditions describe it in different ways, but the through-line is the same: that we are made of more than just the physical, and that energy is part of what makes each of us unique.

Your Energy in Color

When an aura is interpreted, it's most often expressed through color. Each color is associated with its own type of energy and personality, and many of these colors correspond to the chakras — the energy centers within the body. A red aura, for example, speaks to grounding and passion, while a violet aura points toward intuition and a connection to something greater.

Most people don't carry just one color. An aura is usually a blend, which is part of what makes it so personal — no two are ever quite the same. To explore what each color reveals, visit our aura color meaning guide.

Why Your Aura Changes

Your aura is not fixed. It has the ability to change, much like the ever-changing nature of your emotions, situations, and life story. The energy you carry on a calm, open day may look entirely different from the energy you carry during a season of stress or transformation. Rather than a permanent label, your aura is a reflection of where you are in a single present moment.

Can You See Your Aura?

While an aura isn't visible to the eye, aura photography offers a way to capture it. Using a specialized camera and hand sensors, your energy is read and translated into a spectrum of color layered over your portrait — giving you a tangible glimpse of the energy you carry.