The 11th annual PolaCon convention is scheduled to return to the Dallas and Denton area from September 25 to 27. Organized by the Denton-based Instant Film Society, the event focuses on instant film photography, offering attendees photo walks, workshops, and live entertainment.
Founded in 2016 by Brookhaven photography professor Daniel Rodrigue, the convention was described by organizers as the first three-day gathering of its kind dedicated to this medium. Attendance has expanded significantly since the inaugural year, growing from approximately 80 participants to hundreds of photographers and analog enthusiasts.
Pre-convention activities begin on September 24 with Day Zero events in Denton and an evening show at Meow Wolf in Grapevine Mills Mall. The main event opens on Friday with the 15th Annual IFS Rain-or-Shine State Fair of Texas PolaWalk at Fair Park. Following this, the convention moves to Denton for the remainder of the weekend.
Saturday’s schedule includes a morning mural walk around the Denton Square. Later sessions are held at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, featuring workshops, demonstrations, and the Zines & Things Swap Meet. Topics covered in these sessions include tintypes, cyanotypes, Polaroid emulsion lifts, double exposures, and instant-film zines. Sunday concludes with workshops, brunch, and demonstrations at Dan’s Silverleaf, ending with a closing party at Rubber Gloves.
Thaddeus Mantaro, dean of student health and wellness at Brookhaven, discovered the event while visiting a local camera shop last year. He noted that the convention felt welcoming even to those who did not plan on attending. "I would highly recommend this event to anyone interested in film and photography," Mantaro said following the previous year's gathering.
