A passion for adventure photography earned Dan Teitelbaum a seat in the SOJC’s Multimedia Journalism Accelerated Master’s program, allowing him to work on the degree before finishing his bachelor’s.

By Jennifer Snelling

In October, Dan Teitelbaum, a Multimedia Journalism Master’s student, spent several weeks filming on the treacherous Viaje de los Locos, a 1,082-foot-tall rock face in Sardinia’s Gole de Gorropu. Each day, he hiked the five-kilometer approach, then used ascending ropes hung from the wall by his friend and professional climber Hayden Jamieson to get in position.

Teitelbaum was not climbing, per se. Using Canon mirrorless cameras, he was filming the ascent for Jamieson’s sponsor Rab, an outdoor gear and clothing outfitter.

Teitelbaum’s assignment required him to rely on his three key skill sets: photography, documenting and climbing. To pull it off, he had to ascend portions of Viaje de los Locos — which roughly translates in English to “climb of the crazy people” — to film Jamieson, who was rock climbing beneath him. The project captured the climb and the culture of Sardinia.

"Documenting adventures in the outdoors is where I feel most at home,” Teitelbaum said. “Climbing, however, is on another level, especially when you step into the realm of big walls. On top of trying to get the shots you need, you're constantly balancing other factors like ropes and other equipment. Documenting a big wall, in my opinion, is a test piece for any great or aspiring adventure photographer."

The first graduate of the accelerated Multimedia Journalism Master’s

This spring Teitelbaum will reach another landmark. He’ll be the first to graduate from the UO School of Journalism and Communication’s (SOJC) Multimedia Journalism Accelerated Master’s program. Also known as 4+1, the program lets journalism students take master’s classes in their senior year to earn the Multimedia Journalism Master’s in one year instead of two.

Originally from New Jersey, Teitelbaum first came to the SOJC for his degree in journalism in 2020. As an undergrad, he could often be found backcountry snowboarding, mountaineering or rock climbing at Smith Rock and in the Cascades.

Teitelbaum has contributed covers, photos and articles to Outside Bozeman magazine, Bend Magazine, Balance magazine and Climbing magazine in addition to smaller publications. He has also done brand work for Mammut, Adidas Terrex and Raed Slacklines. Over the summer, he interned in Salt Lake City for Camp4 Collective, which produces outdoor commercial and documentary films for clients such as Apple, Porsche and Brooks Running.

Working for such varied clients has given him experience in production, photography, videography and editing.

“This is the work I’ve built for myself,” Teitelbaum said. “The SOJC has been very flexible in allowing me to incorporate that work into my class work.”

Dan Teitelbaum photographed (left) Emile Bragrad walking a one-kilometer highline in Central Oregon during a spectacular aurora borealis, and (right) Ethan Drake finding his zone on a powder day in the Oregon Cascades. Teitelbaum’s love of adventure photography earned him a seat in the SOJC’s Multimedia Journalism Accelerated Master’s program. Photos by Dan Teitelbaum.

SOJC faculty encouraged Teitelbaum to pursue a master’s

As an undergrad, Teitelbaum was eager to graduate and start building his career in outdoor documentary and commercial filmmaking. But his professors saw his potential and advised him to pursue his Multimedia Journalism Master’s degree. Professors Wes Pope, Dan Morrison and Sung Park convinced him the higher degree would be worth his time.

After he was accepted into the program his senior year, he began taking graduate-level classes, which counted for both his undergrad and graduate degree. He started the master’s program in the fall and expects to graduate in the spring.

“Dan is doing remarkable work at a high level,” said Pope, director of the Multimedia Journalism Master’s program. “He is very talented visually and has the skills to get into places not many of us get to go. That combination of photography at the highest level and mountaineering skills is quite remarkable. He is so impressive but very kind in how he moves through the world.”

Connecting with the people around him, whether that is through the lens of a camera on the side of a mountain or sharing his work with faculty and fellow students at the SOJC, is what makes Teitelbaum tick. During his last year of the program, he hopes to meet fellow alums and collaborate with his peers.

So what’s next for the adventurer-photographer?

“After graduation, the beginning of my time as a full-time storyteller truly begins,” he said. “There are lots of ground-breaking projects on the horizon.”

Jennifer Snelling is a Eugene-based education journalist. She graduated from the SOJC with a master’s degree in journalism in 2001.