Hado Being wasn’t created from a business plan.
It started with a photo, then a camera, a curiosity, and a question:
What happens when people actually get a chance to see themselves differently?
In 2016, I first encountered aura photography through Christina Lonsdale, also known as Radiant Human, and immediately felt there was something special about it. Not because it could predict the future or tell people who they were, but because it created a pause. A moment of reflection. A chance to have a conversation that most of us rarely make time for.
Years later, in 2020, after an intense meditation, the idea fully crystallized that I needed to embark on a journey of sharing this experience with others.
At the time, I had no storefront, no studio, and no grand vision of building a company.
I just knew I wanted to share the experience.
Why “Hado Being”?
The name came before the business.
“Hado” was the name of my sister’s childhood stuffed bear, something she chose as a child. It later grew into something more meaningful for us, tied to the idea that we are Hado beings—energy beings rather than just human beings. In Japanese, “hado” also refers to vibration or wave motion, the idea that everything carries a frequency, a unique energetic signature. That concept felt like the perfect fit for what aura photography represents.
We’re all constantly changing.
Growing.
Healing.
Learning.
Evolving.
The name Hado Being became a reminder that we’re not static. We’re living, breathing, ever-changing humans moving through different seasons of life.
And that’s what fascinated me most.
Not the colors.
The people.
We Built a Studio That Could Go Anywhere, But Not First.
I actually started with a studio in Wash Park in Denver, where I was living at the time. It was a small but meaningful space that gave Hado Being its first home. When I decided to move back home to California in 2022 and start over, that’s when the roaming studio aka traveling circus was born. Instead of rebuilding in one fixed place, I chose to take everything on the road and let the experience evolve wherever it was needed.
Coffee shops.
Boutiques.
Plant stores.
Hotels.
Markets.
Festivals.
Wellness centers.
If there was power and a little bit of floor space, we could create an experience there. That flexibility became one of the things people connected with most. We weren’t asking people to come find us. We were bringing the experience directly into communities.
Looking back, what felt like a limitation became one of our biggest strengths.
What Started as a Solo Project Became a Family Business
For the first few years, Hado Being was very much a one-person operation.
I wore every hat.
Photographer.
Event coordinator.
Social media manager.
Customer service department.
Equipment mover.
Snack runner.
Eventually, it became clear that the business had grown into something bigger than one person.
In 2023, I brought in my sister Jennifer and my cousin Ingrid, and Hado Being became a family business.
That changed everything.
Not just because we could serve more people, but because the experience itself became richer. Each of us brings a different perspective, a different personality, and a different way of connecting with people.
The camera may be the same.
The conversations are never the same twice.
What We’ve Learned After Photographing Thousands of People
When people hear “aura photography,” they often assume the photo is the main event.
It isn’t.
The photo is the invitation.
The real magic happens in the conversations afterward.
We’ve watched people laugh, cry, reflect, reconnect with themselves, and sometimes completely surprise themselves.
We’ve learned that most people aren’t looking for answers as much as they’re looking for permission.
Permission to slow down.
Permission to be curious.
Permission to check in with themselves.
The portrait just gives them a place to start.
Where We’re Going
Today, Hado Being travels throughout California (and beyond) creating aura portrait experiences at pop-ups, private events, brand activations, retreats, celebrations, and gatherings of all kinds.
But the mission hasn’t really changed since day one.
We’re still creating moments of self-reflection.
Still helping people see themselves from a different angle.
Still endlessly fascinated by what happens when someone sits down, places their hands on the sensors, and becomes curious about their own story.
Hado Being was never really about aura photography.
Aura photography just happened to be the vehicle.
The real work has always been helping people reconnect with themselves.
And after all these years, that’s still our favorite part.
