The Hotline Show is my video podcast about photography, creativity, and the slow realization that none of it matters.
If you haven’t been keeping up with my show lately (and who can blame you), this newsletter is a rundown of the last 15 episodes. There’s a lot of good stuff. Gear talk, existential spiraling, chickens, fog, and at least one discussion about the worst emoji you can send someone.
If you are wondering why I haven’t been writing that many newsletters, it’s mostly because I have been making these videos and if you think about it, that makes a lot of sense, my videos are 100x less popular than this newsletter and I am really good at business.
Holes in the Archive
*March 1, 2026 · 20 min*
Vibe Coding instead of taking pictures, thinking about Roy Stryker, the Farm Services Administration and why we even have an archive to begin with.
Getting Slightly Better Every Day
*Feb 22, 2026 · 19 min*
How archive.noahkalina.com came together, why the images are in random order, and what it actually feels like to go back through 20 years of work. Also: SSD prices have gone completely off the rails post-tariff/AI mania, and there’s a deep dive into whether any of this backup strategy even makes sense.
What Would You Take?
*Feb 15, 2026 · 15 min*
Ignacio from Mexico called and asked: what would you pack if you had to leave for an indefinite amount of time? We think about that while trying to survive February.
Can’t Win Them All
*Feb 8, 2026 · 17 min*
I really just wanted to make a video with the Puscifer cover of “Congregation” by Low.
What Do Chickens Do In The Cold?
*Feb 1, 2026 · 13 min*
We finally answer the age-old question. What do chickens do in the cold? Should we be harvesting chicken meat in a lab? What is the temperature outside right now?
The End of the World and the Best Audio Equipment to Make Your YouTube Videos
Shine!
*Jan 25, 2026 · 19 min*
We commit to trying something new even though it’s pretty clear it’s not going to work out. Plus: advice for my brother who is starting a YouTube channel, and a conversation about the audio in the @kalinatime videos.
Reverse Chronological Order (2025)
*Jan 18, 2026 · 10 min*
A look back at 2025. All the clips appear in reverse chronological order. 2025 was a year, right? Put this one on full screen.
The Poetry of You
*Dec 2025 · 15 min*
We think about what it would be like to have a regular job and do regular stuff, talk about what movies we’re watching, and contemplate the idea that large format photography might actually be an affront to nature.
It’s An Emotional Judgment
*Dec 2025 · 15 min*
We continue testing the Hasselblad X2D II and discover the shutter sound is kind of horrible. Are cars like cameras? We check in with Mike at Churchill Classics. Leanne asks if the pictures I’m taking are real and whether it’s annoying to film yourself taking photos (yes, it is). Alex calls in with observations about creative life in 2025.
What Are You Worried About?
*Dec 2025 · 19 min*
Art, context, childhood memories, what we’re all worried about, and what is good. Special guest Matt Ruby.
On Fog
*Nov 2025 · 9 min*
I talk about what I like about the fog.
The Passive Aggressive Emoji, Improv Comedy and a 1000 Year Long Exposure
*Nov 2025 · 23 min*
What’s the worst emoji you can send someone? Also: meeting my favorite comedian, and a conversation about Jonathon Keats’ 1000-year camera. Is it bullshit? Maybe!
Algorithmic Virality
*Nov 2025 · 29 min*
Algorithmic Virality (not an official term), the most AI-prompted photographers on the internet, standard time, working on landscape projects, and projects that nobody cares about.
Context Collapse and Halloween Traditions
*Oct 2025 · 19 min*
We change the course of history, discuss a real photo that people think is fake, and then attempt to explain what Halloween is all about.
Survival Skills and Do You Need a Tripod?
*Oct 2025 · 22 min*
Another pen review, because this is actually the #1 photography pen podcast on the internet (inside joke). Then: a trip to the top of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks, wondering what we’re even doing up there, and a long discussion about whether tripods have a point. Then we talk survival skills and how long we’d actually last.
You can view all of the videos in one place without even having to go to YouTube by visiting hotline.noahkalina.com
Don’t forget to check out my photographic Archive. *iPad and Desktop only
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Thank you!
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