Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelina Mortarotti.
Hi Angelina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had an interest in energy and the things we can’t necessarily see. I actually wrote a report on auras when I was 13 years old, so in some ways this has been a thread throughout my life.
Before Soulglow, I spent many years working in the fashion industry with large, mass-market brands, while continuing to study energy through reiki and the Akashic Record, on the side, mostly just following my own curiosity and interests. Little by little, the scales started to tip, and it became clear that this was the path I was meant to follow. Eventually I found my way to aura photography.
I started Soulglow Aura in 2018, opened my first studio in Palm Springs in 2023, and most recently opened the South Lamar studio in Austin in May 2026. From the very beginning, I had a deep love for Austin and always envisioned Soulglow having a home here someday. To see that come full circle now feels incredibly special, and like there was a lot of synchronicity that led me here.
Since then, we’ve photographed tens of thousands of people and have had the opportunity to work with incredible individuals, brands and companies across the country. It feels very full circle that something I was curious enough to write about at 13 eventually became the work I get to do every day, in a place that somehow felt connected to the vision from the very beginning.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, I would say the growth of Soulglow has been pretty organic, and at the same time there was also a lot of life unfolding alongside it. I started the business in 2018, had my daughter at the end of 2019, and then, of course, COVID came shortly after. I remember building the original website outside in 100 plus degree Palm Springs heat while my daughter was a baby. I was figuring out how to build a business and be a new mom at the same time.
COVID certainly slowed the momentum of those early years, and Palm Springs is also a very seasonal market, so I’ve had to learn to navigate the natural ebbs and flows that come with that.
But overall, I’ve been incredibly fortunate. The work really seemed to resonate with the people I connected with from the beginning, and so much of the growth has happened organically through word of mouth, repeat clients, and people wanting to share the experience with others. There have been plenty of lessons and adjustments along the way, but I’ve mostly tried to stay open and follow where the business naturally wanted to go.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Soulglow is an aura photography studio and experiential event company. We offer aura photography and personalized readings in our studios, as well as private and corporate events. Our events can be anything from a group of six at an Airbnb to a multi-day convention serving thousands of guests. I’ve developed scalable footprints that allow us to adapt the experience to the size and needs of each event.
I believe what really sets Soulglow apart is rooted in the three values that have guided the company from the beginning: integrity, quality and professionalism.
Integrity starts with the readings. My approach comes from years of studying energy work, Reiki and the Akashic Records, and before I ever charged anyone for an aura photograph, I spent months working with the camera, photographing people I knew and learning how the colors connected to what was actually happening in their lives. We read what we genuinely see in the colors. We’re not trying to make something fit or tell someone what they want to hear. One of the best things I can hear is, “That was the best aura reading I’ve ever had,” or that the experience opened something new up for someone. We hear that often, and I’m very proud of it.
Quality applies to everything from the readings to the photographs themselves. We want the images to be beautiful and the experience to feel thoughtful and consistent, whether we’re photographing one person or hundreds.
Professionalism is especially important in our event work. Having spent many years working in fashion with major brands, and I brought those same expectations around preparation, organization and execution into Soulglow. We know our equipment incredibly well, come prepared with backups and have the experience to anticipate issues before they affect an event.
And through all of that, I’ve always wanted Soulglow to feel modern, warm and approachable. I was interested in spirituality from a young age, but often felt like it was a subculture I wasn’t quite invited into. I never wanted Soulglow to feel that way. We don’t assume you know a lot about spirituality, or anything at all. You can simply come in curious.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned in starting a business is to just go and do, and figure out the details as you need to. It’s so easy to get caught up in the minutiae. Is everything set up perfectly? Does this look right? Is my legal structure exactly what it should be? Of course those things matter, and you’ll address them along the way, but trying to have everything perfect before you start can completely paralyze you.
So much of what I’ve learned about running Soulglow, I learned by actually running Soulglow. You start, you pay attention, you make adjustments, and you keep going. I think there’s a lot more value in forward motion than perfection.
Pricing:
- $65 Individual Aura Portrait. Guided interpretation and hand selected crystal.
- $175 Duo Aura Portrait. 3 Pictures total, one of each person and one of their energy combined
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.soulglowaura.com
- Instagram: @soulglowaura
