In an age of digital photography, a dedicated community of analog enthusiasts converged in Denton for PolaCon 10, a weekend-long celebration of instant film cameras. The 10th annual PolaCon — co-founded by Brookhaven Campus professor Daniel Rodrigue — marked a decade of preserving the art of instant photography and demonstrated that the appeal of Polaroid-style pictures is as strong as ever.
PolaCon began as a daydream in 2013 and materialized in 2016 as the world’s first convention devoted to instant film photography. That inaugural gathering drew just 80 people, many of whom bonded over their shared love of snapping photos that develop in the palm of your hand. Since then, the festival — organized by the Denton-based Instant Film Society — has grown into an annual meetup attracting hundreds of attendees from across the world.
Rodrigue and fellow IFS co-founder Justin Goode launched the nonprofit in 2012 with a mission to increase the awareness, accessibility and understanding of analog instant photography. The annual PolaCon event has become key to that effort, serving as an all-things-instant-film extravaganza for both die hard film shooters and curious newcomers.
Each year’s schedule is packed with demos, talks, panel discussions, workshops, photo walks and even live music. PolaCon Denton traditionally coincides with the opening weekend of the State Fair of Texas, kicking off with a group PolaWalk photo stroll at Fair Park in Dallas before moving to venues around Denton. This year’s edition, held Sept. 25–28, followed suit: after the 14th Annual State Fair PolaWalk in Dallas, the action shifted north to Denton for three days of instant-film fun.
Attendees spread out across multiple sites, from the Denton Camera Exchange shop to Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios and other local spots, immersing themselves in the analog experience.
Throughout PolaCon 10, participants of all skill levels found opportunities to learn and play with Polaroid and other instant cameras.
