The Black Dog’s PhotoBlog

No Motor Vehicles Sign in Nessel Township

Part 3 – Your Goals and Message
Going hand in hand with a theme is the goals and message you wish to convey with your project.

What do you wish to accomplish with your long-term project? Is your intention to have a book published or exhibit your project? Are you attempting to educate or raise awareness to the public about something? Do you want to show people beauty you don’t think they’ve realized before? Do you just want to make someone smile or laugh? This is a question you should ask yourself and answer before you begin. You will want to keep this in mind throughout the process of making pictures for your project.

Also, kind of similar to your goals is what message do you wish to send viewers of your project?

Corn field waiting to be harvested in Nessel Township.

Part 2 - A Theme
Your first big hurtle will be deciding on a theme for your long term photo project. There are so many things to photograph how do you choose just one? I’d suggest that you pick a theme topic that already interests you. Something that’s close to your heart and really captures your interest. Remember this is something you’re going to have to stick with for an extended period of time so it better be something that can hold that interest and help motivate you to get out there and shoot. Do you like nature? Maybe a theme on the four seasons or life at your favorite swimming hole would be good. Do you like animals? Maybe birds or dogs would be a good theme. Maybe you want to do a theme based on a current issue effecting your family & friends like battling cancer or illness. See where I’m going? Brainstorm ideas and come up with something that’s original and unique to you.

Then if you want to get more technical you could also say that your project will only be in color or only in black & white. Will you decide to only use just one lens? (Shoot the whole series using only a macro, wide angle, telephoto or maybe just a prime.) Maybe you want to go with all film or all digital. I’ve seen a great project done using only a Polaroid camera.

Your project should be unified. Stylistically and thematically

My current long term project is an all black & white using only a wide angle lens study of a small township in rural Minnesota. Do something you enjoy, learn and can grow with.

One of many hunting stands in Nessel Township

Part 1 - Not for Everyone
Being in the midst of a project as I type this I thought it might be nice to share with you some of my thoughts (struggles, highs and lows) on doing long term photo projects.

However, I should first warn you that long term projects are not for everyone. My first long term project started by requests from other people to have photos of a certain topic. That project lasted nearly 10 years and could probably have gone on for another 10 years. There were many interruptions during the process of completing this project as I’m sure you will find with any long term project. Sometimes you can’t really set a time limit on a long term project and you’ll have to be able to sense when it’s complete (which in some cases it may never be finished). You really have to be dedicated and passionate about your project to stick with it for the long haul. Only you will know when you’ve accomplished what you feel is the finished product. I would suggest before you undertake the project and that you ask yourself; “Is a long term project really for me? Do I really want (and have enough time) to put a lot of time into one project? Am I willing to set my project aside to work on something more pressing and pick it back up later? Am I willing to take a chance and possibly make little to no money on a project I am pouring my heart and soul into?”

This is a 117 acre park with 1 mile of lake shore on the north end of West Rush Lake. The land was donated to Chisago County in 1994 by local businessman Dennis Frandsen. This was the largest donation the county had ever received.

While driving around Nessel Township the other day I discovered this sign. I’ll definitely have to stop back at this spot. You just know there are great pictures in there that I’ll have to include in the project.