His photos of U.S. Marines training for an upcoming deployment made Cpl. Reece Lodder stand out as a top of journalist in September and ultimately resulted in him being selected as the DVIDS Journalist of the Month for September. Lodde more

His photos of U.S. Marines training for an upcoming deployment made Cpl. Reece Lodder stand out as a top of journalist in September and ultimately resulted in him being selected as the DVIDS Journalist of the Month for September. Lodder previously submitted under Marine Corps Base Hawaii—Kaneohe Bay but is now with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. He soon will be chronicling missions in Afghanistan.

With 527 downloads, Lodder's photos received the fourth highest number of downloads as any other journalist submitting to DVIDS in September.

His photos also had the fifth highest number of media placements and ranked among the top 10 for highest number of views with 4,478.

"Cpl. Reece Lodder continues to prove himself as a consummate professional in public affairs for the Marine Corps and the DoD," said Sgt. Brian Tuthill, managing editor for Hawaii Marine newspaper, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. "He fully dedicates himself to his craft and constantly seeks opportunities and experiences to better himself as a combat correspondent."

When Lodder first began submitting content to DVIDS, his name quickly stood out because his photography repeatedly caught attention.

His photos of the Marines training for their upcoming Afghanistan deployment looked more like they were action photos of Marines in Afghanistan than of Marines training in California. He used a variety of photo set ups to help illustrate the training from detail and group shots to photos at sunset. The photos also showed different training scenarios that the Marines might encounter once they arrive in Afghanistan.

Lodder's photos captured the attention of one military blogger who wrote about Lodder's coverage of the Enhanced Mohave Viper training exercise. In a recent blog, Tom Sileo with The Unknown Soldiers blog said, "...it is clear that this military journalist has some very valuable insights to offer."

Not only does he submit eye-catching photography, he also writes associated news articles to help further tell the Marines' stories. Having more background information and quotes to go along with the photography increases interest in the photos whereas the photos the photos aid the news articles.

One of his news stories was about Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in 38 years. It was viewed more than 11,000 times and shared on Facebook more than 2,000 times.

"His tireless efforts to capture expert imagery and tell the story of Marines training for war have recently brought much positive attention to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, and the Marine Corps as a whole," added Tuthill. "I am one of many who are genuinely excited to see what Cpl. Lodder can achieve during his upcoming Afghanistan deployment."  less