This is the Sacramento Delta, home of the infamous delta smelt, about half an hour before sunset. Which picture do you like better? The one on the left sports the original lens flare, which seems to give it a slight sense of liveliness. The flare has been photoshopped out in the other image, which gives it a quieter look. I’m undecided.

Please note that there’s no question here of which picture is the more “authentic.” Flare is an artifact of lens design, not a part of the scenery. This is purely a matter of which version you like better.

October 10, 2019 — Above Antioch, California

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AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with The Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

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