I have a new favorite camera.
The funny part is that for the first few days I owned it, I did not know how to use it. The only thing I knew how to do was hit the Amazon link the day before I headed to NABJ Atlanta and hope and pray I could figure it out.
Before heading to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention in Atlanta, I bought the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
I had plans.
Big plans.
I was going to take this tiny camera around the convention, capture interviews, shoot behind-the-scenes footage, document my experience and come home with beautiful content for Liberty Madison TV.
There was only one problem:
I couldn’t figure the thing out.
I charged it. I turned it on. I played around with it.
And then I got confused.
So naturally, this beautiful new camera that I had specifically purchased to document one of the biggest media conferences of the year spent entirely too much time sitting in my hotel room.
That changed because of one of my favorite experiences at NABJ—and because of a relationship that started at NABJ a year earlier.
The Introduction Behind the Story
Before I tell you about Gideon, I have to tell you about Andrea Williams.
Andrea is an anchor and reporter at TMJ4 in Milwaukee and the anchor of Milwaukee Tonight. I first met Andrea at NABJ in Chicago. We stayed connected, and when we saw each other again at NABJ in Atlanta, she introduced me to her TMJ4 colleague Gideon Verdin.
That introduction ended up changing my entire experience with this camera.
And this is exactly why I believe so deeply in relationship building.
Networking isn’t always about meeting someone and immediately asking, “What can you do for me?” Sometimes you meet someone, have a genuine conversation, stay connected and keep showing up. Then a year later, that relationship creates an introduction you never could have planned.
Andrea knew Gideon’s background as a multimedia journalist and connected us. Gideon knew the exact piece of equipment I had sitting upstairs in my hotel room because I couldn’t figure it out.
One relationship led to another relationship, and that relationship led to knowledge.
That’s the power of being in community.
Meeting Gideon Verdin
One of the highlights of the entire convention for me was meeting Gideon Verdin, a multimedia journalist and TMJ4’s Northern Milwaukee County Reporter.
Gideon has been working in Milwaukee media since 2012, first as an editor and photojournalist and now as an on-camera reporter. His work has earned him the nickname the city’s “unofficial Mayor” because of his ability to find people, stories and perspectives throughout the community.
His background also includes teaching young people video production through organizations including Strive Media Institute and True Skool.
And somehow, during one of the busiest journalism conventions in the country, he took the time to teach me.
Not for five minutes.
Not a quick, “Push this button, change this setting, good luck.”
Gideon gave me what turned into roughly a 90-minute, one-on-one DJI tutorial.
And it was one of the most valuable 90 minutes I spent at NABJ.
Why I Trusted Him
Here’s what really got my attention: Gideon wasn’t teaching me because he was a camera guru, influencer or creator reviewing gear online. He’s a working television journalist. He explained that the DJI is the same camera he uses in the field to capture footage and deliver broadcast-quality work for television.
I was sold. A working on-air multimedia journalist was telling me, essentially, I use this too. If Gideon had looked at my DJI and told me, “Liberty, send this back and buy something else,” I probably would have done it. He had my attention and my trust because he actually uses his equipment to find stories, capture them, put the pieces together and deliver finished packages for television.
That was what excited me most. I wasn’t learning from someone who simply knew the specs. I was learning from someone who knew how to ship the story.
From “What Does This Button Do?” to Actually Understanding My Camera
There is a difference between someone showing you where the buttons are and someone teaching you how to use a camera to tell a story.
That’s what made this experience so valuable.
Gideon is a working multimedia journalist. He understands what it means to be responsible for capturing the story—not just standing in front of the camera, but understanding the equipment, framing the shot, capturing usable footage and thinking like a visual storyteller.
He patiently walked me through my DJI.
We went through the camera.
We practiced.
I asked questions.
We filmed.
And slowly, this little camera that had intimidated me enough to leave it sitting in my hotel room started making sense.
By the end, I wasn’t simply more comfortable with a piece of equipment.
I had gained a skill.
That may have been my favorite part of NABJ.
I went to a journalism convention expecting to meet people, attend events, have conversations and expand my network.
I didn’t expect to walk away having essentially received a private multimedia journalism lesson.
But that’s exactly what happened.
And it happened because Andrea made an introduction.
This Is Why Being in the Room Matters
I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes conferences worth attending.
It’s easy to measure them by how many business cards you collect, how many panels you attend or how many important people you meet.
But sometimes the most valuable moment is much smaller.
It’s sitting down with someone who knows something you don’t know yet.
It’s asking a question.
It’s someone deciding to give you their time.
And then you leave the room able to do something you couldn’t confidently do before you walked in.
That’s community. That’s mentorship. That’s relationship building. And that’s why being in the room matters.
Gideon didn’t just help me operate my camera. He made me feel comfortable enough to actually start using it.
For a creator, that matters.
Because the best camera in the world doesn’t do much for you sitting in a hotel room.
Watch my full, unedited 97-minute DJI Osmo Pocket 3 tutorial with Gideon Verdin below!
We recorded the tutorial.
And now you can learn right along with me.
The full, unedited tutorial is now available on Liberty Madison TV! Watch as Gideon walks me through the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and shares how a working multimedia journalist uses this camera in the field.
I love that I didn’t just leave NABJ with memories and photos.
I left with knowledge I can continue using long after the convention ended.
About My New Favorite Camera: The DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Now that I actually know how to use it?
I LOVE this camera.
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is incredibly small, which is one of the biggest reasons I wanted it. As someone who attends conferences, interviews people, travels, creates social content and produces video, I don’t always want to carry a huge camera setup.
I want something I can pull out and start filming with.
And now that I understand what this little camera can do, I understand why cameras like this have become so useful for journalists and creators who need to capture quality video while moving quickly.
It’s small enough to travel with me.
It’s unobtrusive enough for events.
And it’s powerful enough that I can create footage I’m actually excited to use.
Most importantly, I’m no longer intimidated by it.
If you’re a journalist, content creator, interviewer, entrepreneur or someone who simply wants a small camera you can carry with you, this has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of gear.
You can check out the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 I purchased here.
Affiliate link: I may earn a commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you.
And if you’d like to learn more about the journalist who turned my abandoned hotel-room camera into my new favorite piece of equipment, read more about Gideon Verdin and his work at TMJ4.
You can also learn more about Andrea Williams and her work at TMJ4—the woman whose introduction made this entire experience possible.
Gideon, thank you.
You gave me something much more valuable than a quick camera tutorial.
You gave me the confidence to use a tool I had already invested in—and a skill I’ll now carry into every interview, conference and story I capture.
And Andrea, thank you for making the connection. It’s a perfect reminder that sometimes the value of a relationship doesn’t reveal itself when you first meet. You build it, nurture it and stay connected—and sometimes, years and cities later, it opens a completely unexpected door.
Next stop: Liberty Madison TV.
This time, the DJI is coming out of the hotel room.
Thanks to Gideon, I’m already considering buying another one for events. But before I clear out the DJI stock, I’m going to give you the opportunity to get your own. 😂
Ready to get your own DJI Osmo Pocket 3? Click my Amazon affiliate link to grab yours! I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you.
And don’t forget to watch my full tutorial with Gideon on Liberty Madison TV!
I don’t earn a commission from YouTube for that one—just a little commission of joy every time someone watches, learns something new, and supports my channel. 😂