The Noah Kalina Newsletter

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The Noah Kalina Newsletter
Newsletter #138 - Big Day
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Newsletter #138 - Big Day

Nothing will ever be the same.

Noah Kalina
May 15, 2024
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Newsletter #138 - Big Day
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May 11th, 2024 was Cornell Lab’s Global Big Day. If you don’t know, every May, Cornell asks people all around the world to go birding and submit what birds they see as a way to learn the status of birds and their locations. I love this massive citizen science project, and I wanted to make a day of it and challenge myself to spot as many birds as I possibly could.

The night before, I packed up my gear to get ready so I could head out first thing in the morning.

While packing up my camera gear, I saw a strange color in the sky through the window. I went outside and there was a massive glowing aurora over my house and studio.

May 10, 2024 10:25 AM

I couldn’t believe it. The aurora visible this far south? Unbelievable.

May 10, 2024 10:31PM

I stayed up way past my bedtime to make some photos. It was well worth it.


The next morning I felt a bit strange and didn’t feel like getting out of bed. I had a headache and my body hurt.

Self-Portrait holding a Phase One XF (IQ360) and a Sony A7RIII taken with a Nest Camera

But I got my stuff together and headed out anyway. I was determined for it to be a Big Day.

Self-Portrait holding a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and a Phase One XF (IQ360) taken on a Sony A7RIII

Something must have happened to me during the aurora. It felt like some weird energy had infiltrated my body.

Self-Portrait using a Sony A7RV taken with a DJI Osmo Pocket 3

I knew it was supposed to be about the birds, but I only wanted to take photos of me making photos using different cameras.

Self-Portrait holding a Sony A7RIII and an DJI Osmo Pocket 3 taken with a Spypoint Flex Trail Camera

I have so many cameras around. I was inexplicably compelled to use them all to continuously make these different combinations of photographs.

Self Portrait holding a Sony A7RV and tripod taken with the VIOFO A119 dashcam

Why was I doing this?!

Self-Portrait holding a Sony A7RV with a Sony A7R3 on a tripod taken with a Phase One XF (IQ360)

Don’t get me wrong, I did see a bunch of birds.

Self-Portrait using a Sony A7RV taken with a DJI Osmo Pocket 3

This is my list:
Chipping Sparrow
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Crow
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Blue Jay
Ovenbird
Magnolia Warbler
Eastern Phoebe
House Wren
Indigo Bunting
Scarlet tanager
Red-eyed Vireo
American Robin
Tree Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Eastern Bluebird
Black-capped Chickadee
Pine Warbler
Tufted Titmouse
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Raven
Northern Cardinal
Broad Winged Hawk
Turkey Vulture 
Mourning Dove
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Pileated Woodpecker

Self-Portrait using an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max taken with a VIOFO A119 Dashcam

But I didn’t take many photos of them. I just wasn’t interested. I was only interested in myself.

This is madness.


The news was reporting that there was going to be one more night that the aurora would be visible at my location.

Self-Portrait holding a Nikon Coolpix S10 after taking the 8841 daily photograph of myself made with a generic trail cam model #A323. May 11, 2024

I stayed up late again, thinking that maybe if I could photograph the aurora again, this self-obsessed curse would be lifted. I went outside and looked north.

May 11, 2024 10:29 PM

It was cloudy.

Self-Portrait holding a Contax T2* using the Studio Display Camera. *Film cameras are for aesthetics only.

I think I might be like this forever.



VIDEO

Big Day - March 11, 2024



SUPPORT THIS NEWSLETTER

For the month of May, if you become a paying subscriber*, I will send you three brand-new postcards. This postcard batch is an assortment of flower photographs I’ve made in my studio over the past few years, and they are exclusive to newsletter subscribers.

If you stay subscribed, you’ll receive an additional three (unique) postcards in June. After you subscribe you will get a confirmation email with a link to a form to submit your mailing address. These postcards are super high quality and you can use them to send to a friend or even put them in a frame.

Your support keeps these stories going. Thank you!

This newsletter will continue to remain free, even if you do not choose to become a paying subscriber. Please forward it along to anyone who you think might be interested.

*If you’re already a paying subscriber you are included in this offer and you do not need to do anything.



Julia Sforza didn’t see the aurora because she fell asleep.
Zach Vitale heard you needed to use a device to perceive the aurora.
Seth Werkheiser didn’t even know the aurora was happening.


noahkalina.com / Instagram / Threads / YouTube

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The Noah Kalina Newsletter
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Newsletter #138 - Big Day
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Discussion about this post

Diana Pappas
May 15

Experiencing totality and such a strong aurora within a short period of time has got to alter a person's mental state. Jealous of the indigo bunting and the scarlet tanager on the same day!

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Jayne Manwarring
May 15

I like it when your weirdness shows

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