This may get kicked to the photo gallery, but this post is about food, not photography.

Go to your bookshelf and check your dictionary for greasy spoon. It may show a photo of Abe's Diner!

On my trip from Memphis last week to Charleston, SC, I ran across Abe's Diner in Corinth, MS. This place is one of a kind! It is revered by locals who fill up the seats on a constantly rotating basis. Inside is a long counter with about 12 to 15 stools and they are always full. When it was my time to sit I was welcomed like a neighbor by the others already seated. There was good conversation between everyone there and they recommended a burger with fresh fries which are cut daily. They also recommended a shaker of spices to shake over the fries.

The food was good and the atmosphere was even better. If anyone passes through Corinth, I recommend a stop at Abe's.

I was wearing my VN Vet hat and one gentleman seated beside me left. On his way out he handed me a jar of the french fry spices and thanked me for my service.

Sometimes good experiences will pop up if we keep our eyes open as we drive down the highway of life!

Yikes, 5% of 1200 pages = 60 pages?

There actually are several of the Sigma 150-600 lenses, apparently with significant differences. I bought one recently for the Sony E mount and one question I directed to B&H was how the camera settings interacted with the lens settings. They really did not answer the question but simply said stabilization would be either in the camera or in the lens. But when you turn on stabilization in the lens does that automatically turn it off in the camera?

It seems I have some experimenting to do now that spring is on the way.

As a longtime international award-winning photojournalist, who has photographed all subjects around the world for the past 50 years, including war conflict, breaking news and more than my share of sad moments of human tragedy and grief, I can tell you it is never an easy thing we photojournalist have to do to document our world and all its good and bad.

In all breaking news situations it is common journalistic practice to do your best to get the names of those you have photographed , before or after you have made timely shots. But no you don't need to obtain model releases for public situations if the photos are being used for legitimate editorial purposes like news coverage, and not being sold or used in advertisements.

That doesn't prevent folks from naturally being upset if you photograph them in moments of sadness, grief, and tragedy. I have been cursed, assaulted, and more, while doing my job, I always try to work with as much respect as I can for everyone's human dignity. All people deserve no less than that from photojournalists.

That being said ,some countries and localities have imposed stricter guidelines for photographers photographing the public without advance permission. So it is important to know the prevailing culture and rules for where you are photographing.

In covering war I found most people felt it was important to tell their human stories to the world, and have the world see and understand their plight and suffering, and maybe someone would come to their aid and assistance.

On a domestic story, let me relate one amazing case of that. Many of you may know of the controversial "Megan's Law" which requires local authorities to notify area residents when any formerly convicted child molester or anyone who was a former sexual predator, lives in their neighborhood.

Well while I was staff photographer at the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper I was one of the first photographers who rushed to the suburban scene in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, after young Megan Kanka was lured and murdered by a neighbor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Megan_Kanka

My task was to photograph the scene and that included the police detectives , the grieving parents, friends and relatives who had gathered at the Kanka home, and the murder scene right across the street in that neighbor's home, where an unknown formerly convicted child molester lived..

In an extraordinary act of courage ,instead of hiding from all the press gathered, the Kanka family invited us into their home and allowed us to take photos on the condition that we the media from TV and the written press would help them change the laws so that this tragedy would never happen to another unsuspecting family and community again. We all agreed, and in addition the family invited us to cover the funeral locally and nationally to help tell Megan's story to the world.

The story went national and we covered the Kanka family's crusade, and rightly or wrongly, before too long there was legislation that was passed in Megan's name and remains today.

In the war conflicts I have covered, as well as domestic breaking news I always carry press credentials and identify myself as a working photojournalist to any soldiers, authorities present as well as to the public, and most people , even in their grief, understand the importance of their stories being told and not forgotten.

Treat people with respect and kindness, and sometimes that meant not taking more photos at some point, once you had enough to tell their story. And other times that meant making the effort to follow up with the victims, with their permission when possible, to tell an even more complete, compelling and important story.

I have covered stories in Russia and Ukraine, and I am sure this photojournalist did their job to make themselves known to these Ukrainians over some days or even weeks.

The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature went this year to a team of journalists and photojournalists from Associated Press who covered the Russia/Ukraine war in " 20 days in Mariupol".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo

Cheers and best you.