This volume investigates the multifaceted cultural and geographic identity of California through a synchronized, single-day photographic survey. The project, spearheaded by Rick Smolan, utilizes the collective output of over one hundred world-class photojournalists to capture the state's diverse landscapes, industries, and social strata. By focusing on a specific twenty-four-hour window, the work constructs a comprehensive visual archive that serves as both a historical record and a sociological study of the region during the late twentieth century.

The subject matter points to a significant, large-scale visual project that functions as a time capsule for the region's mid-1980s social and physical landscape. The framing suggests a high-production-value coffee table book intended for readers interested in documentary photography and regional history.