DVIDS Journalist of the Month for March, Sgt. Pete Thibodeau, breaks out of the pack with his images from Afghanistan and makes history as the first journalist to receive the recognition for a second time. Thibodeau is deployed... read more
DVIDS Journalist of the Month for March, Sgt. Pete Thibodeau, breaks out of the pack with his images from Afghanistan and makes history as the first journalist to receive the recognition for a second time. Thibodeau is deployed with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. He was first recognized as the DVIDS Journalist of the Month in November 2011 for his work documenting the training between U.S. Marines and Australian troops during Exercise Semper Fast 2011. <br /> <br />
With 4,192 downloads, Thibodeau's images were downloaded more than any other journalist in March. He also ranks in the top group of journalists for image views, media distributions and placements. Numerous outlets used his images from Time Magazine and Military Times to Politico and Black Five. <br /> <br />
"Sgt. Pete Thibodeau is not only an incredible combat photographer, but truly is an inspiring Marine noncommissioned officer," said Lt. Col. Larry Huggins, Commander, Special Operations Task Force West. "Sgt. Thibodeau's exceptional imagery helped bring international attention to the work of special operations forces throughout western Afghanistan and the efforts of the dedicated professionals that make-up the Afghan National Security Forces." <br /> <br />
One of Thibodeau's more popular images from March shows a Marine firing a M240B machine gun at night. His night fire photographs are some of the best ones in his March portfolio and were picked up by multiple media outlets. <br /> <br />
Thibodeau's images of Afghans also stand out. The image gallery "Presence patrol with the district governor" includes way-of-life photos of Afghan bread makers and a portrait of an Afghan child that caught the attention of multiple media outlets including TheAtlantic.com. <br /> <br />
Some of the angles Thibodeau chooses to capture his photography subjects are also worth noting. Whether he sets up the shot from overhead looking down on Afghans cookings or focuses on all the shoes piled up outside a shura, many of his photos provide a different perspective on the lives of the Afghans that U.S. service members encounter on a routine basis. <br /> <br />
On a lighter side, his images of military working dog, Wilbur, also catch attention especially on social media. His photo of Wilbur taking a break on March 30 was shared from the DVIDS Facebook post alone more than 65 times and 'liked' almost 200 times. <br /> <br />
As detailed above, Thibodeau is one of the military journalists whose images consistently stand out from other images. Whether the image is compelling for its subject, framing or the overall photographic skill, there is little surprise that once again the service member behind the camera is Thibodeau. <br /> <br />
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Pete Thibodeau was chosen as DVIDS Journalist of the Month for November 2011 for his documentation of the training conducted between U.S. Marines and Australian troops during Exercise Semper Fast 2011.
Thibodeau showed... read more
Pete Thibodeau was chosen as DVIDS Journalist of the Month for November 2011 for his documentation of the training conducted between U.S. Marines and Australian troops during Exercise Semper Fast 2011.
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Thibodeau showed excellent skill with his camera equipment in the way he captured the intensity of the Marines training. He framed each of his shots well and used excellent depth of field where appropriate. The end result was a solid group of images that put the viewer in the middle of the training action. In addition, his captions clearly stated the action in each photo and gave good background on the important combined training between the Marines and U.S. allies. More importantly, the images were submitted the same day they were taken. This fast turn time on quality photos opened up many outlets that would be interested in running the material. Many of the images were widely distributed to several major media outlets to include the Chicago Tribune, Reuters, AP, USA Today and many others.
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Thibodeau’s other photos from November also covered a visit from President Barack Obama to Australia, which were also well shot and gave excellent variety for media outlets to chose. Between the two events, the images gave an excellent depiction of what U.S. Marines do to stay combat ready. show less
