Hi, it’s Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT host,

If a picture can capture a thousand words, then photojournalist Max Whittaker has a thick stack of images worth a million.

I’ve seen his images in big news stories about California — closeups of firefighters battling blazes, panoramic views of drought-stricken mountains and forests, chiaroscuro images of farmworkers bent down in the fields with a gorgeous sunrise behind them — and they emphasize what a beautiful state we live in, as well as the environmental and social turmoil happening here.

I’ve asked Max, who’s based here in the Sacramento region, to be our guest at an ENLIGHTENMENT salon and bring some words and pictures to describe his life as a photojournalist covering the Golden State.

Max studied history at the University of California, Davis, and became interested in photojournalism while on a climbing trip in South America. He worked at newspapers in Iowa and California before going freelance in 2004. He’s covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, presidential campaigns, and social issues in California. He’s a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Getty Images, and he is a founding member of Prime Collective, a group of visual storytellers based around the world.

Join me for a conversation with Max at Nisei Hall in Downtown Sacramento about what life looks like today in California,

Bring your questions — nothing is too small or dumb to ask.

Claim your seat - Register here on our Eventbrite page.

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Nisei Hall at 1515 4th Street is the last remaining structure from Sacramento's historic Japantown, and is designated as a historic landmark at both the state and national levels. The hall’s small parking lot is free of charge after 6 pm; there is also plenty of metered street parking around the building. Light refreshments will be available for purchase.