Yes, this picture clearly is illustrative of an attentive engineer. Even if the lens was shot/rocked out, the bottom aspect on this territory is obviously red. And even in the unlikely event that the previous signal was Clear, by NOT seeing any aspect at all, dim or otherwise, this signal indication- at worst, dark- still indicates STOP.
And what I feel is a more significant problem is that they are left-hand signals. Perhaps this is a clearance issue in this instance, but it used to be that "...signals will be displayed to the right-hand [engineer's] side of track whenever possible."
Dim, poorly aimed or otherwise imperfect signals can still be counted on to be seen from a distance when things are uniformly installed. The Alameda Corridor project is a fine example of many locations where a right-hand signal was not installed not for the inability to do so, but for costs' sake. While that was certainly an unusally large project, it was annoying to come around Pico Rivera westbound, crest the small grade and be greeted with a sea of lights; signals, right and left, over center, and poorly positioned, all backlit by 10,000 lights from the autoveyor and the ramp.