We got vibe checked with Charlotte's first aura camera. Here's where to try it yourself
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Blue dominated both our photos, which apparently signals chatty energy. For two reporters? Checks out. Photos: Laura Barrero and McKenzie Rankin/Axios
Aura photography, the trend that turns your "energy" into a rainbow portrait, has landed in Charlotte.
Why it matters: Black Moon Co. owner Alexia Byrd says she has the first aura camera in Charlotte, and she's hosting pop-ups around the city so you can try it for yourself.
Context: Online, "aura" has become Gen Z shorthand for someone's intangible cool factor. Aura photography takes that idea literally, translating supposed energy into color.
- We tried it at a recent pop-up at The Bag Lady in Elizabeth.
How it works: Participants sit in front of a vintage-style camera and place their hands on two biofeedback sensors. Thirty seconds later, the camera produces a Polaroid.
- As the photo develops, colors will bloom around your portrait.
- Then, Byrd interprets them for you.
Each color corresponds to traits and chakras (energy centers in the body). A blue hue near your throat? Byrd says you've been using your "throat chakra. In other words, she says, you're a yapper.
- Red around the head can mean stress or overthinking. Purple aligns with creativity and intuition.
- Sometimes people see small circles of light, too. Byrd calls them "orbs," often interpreted as spirit guides.
The other side: There's no scientific consensus on the existence of spiritual auras.
- The camera measures subtle things like skin conductivity and temperature, and software translates that data into the colorful glow layered onto your portrait.
- How those colors are interpreted is subjective.
What they're saying: "It's just seeing it for yourself," Byrd says about the experience. "Even skeptics will watch the whole process...and then they're like, 'Okay, yeah, I want one too.'"
Zoom in: Byrd is a reiki practitioner who deepened her spiritual practice while living in Salem, Massachusetts.
- She's a graduate of the HIIVE program, a small-business incubator that offers local entrepreneurs affordable space and mentorship at 7th Street Market, where she first launched her Black Moon Co. pop-ups.
- Alongside aura photography sessions, Black Moon Co. hosts candle-making classes and sells wellness products such as crystals and jewelry.
"We live in a pretty crazy world right now," says Byrd. "People don't give themselves enough time to slow down and check in."
- And that's what she believes aura photography provides: an opportunity to pause and reflect.
Our thought bubble: Walk in skeptical if you want. You'll still walk out with a dreamy, retro-cool portrait of yourself, and probably a conversation starter.
- Think of it as a personality quiz where all you have to do is sit still and smile.
- We'll spare you the full breakdown, but parts of our readings felt surprisingly specific, as if Byrd had consulted the people who know us best beforehand. The colors aligned quite neatly with our personalities and lifestyles… coincidence? I'm not so sure.
If you go: Sessions are $45 and include the photo and a reading. Walk-ins are accepted, but we recommend booking ahead.
What's next: Upcoming pop-ups include:
- March 6: 7th Street Market
- March 7: Wholistic Rebirth
- March 18: Elsewhere Cocktail Bar
- March 21: No Man's Land (South End)