This is Beckman Auditorium at Caltech. On the left is the Beckman Behavioral Biology building and on the right is the Baxter Humanities building. The grass field in the middle was called, rather ponderously, the Court of Man back when I was there, but I’m not sure that name has stuck.

There’s nothing especially outstanding about this picture aside from the fact that it was taken well after sunset on a monopod at a shutter speed of 1/6th of a second—and it’s still sharp and saturated anyway. I’ve been shooting exclusively digital for more than 20 years now, but even so I still find myself periodically amazed at what a digital camera plus a bit of Photoshopping can accomplish.

December 9, 2018 — Pasadena, California

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This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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