PolaCon NYC - May 19-21, 2023

PolaCon NYC - May 19-21, 2023

Ladies and gentleman and everyone above and beyond: We are thrilled to invite you to the first PolaCon to EVER be held in NYC! Instant Film Society and Brooklyn Film Camera are joining forces to bring you the biggest and best PolaCon yet. Please join us from May 19-21 for three days of instant film delight.

SECURE YOUR TICKET NOW

The cost of a ticket for the entire weekend of programming is just $35. We don’t want anyone to be unable to attend due to lack of funds, however. If you’d like a discounted or free ticket simply email polacon@brooklynfilmcamera.com, let us know how much you’re able to pay for a ticket, and we will get you set up. ☞ Click here to join the PolaCon NYC WhatsApp group chat ☜ This will be the main channel for official updates, scheduling changes, and more. Participants are encouraged to share images, share plans, and more! The Group will be administered by IFS and BFC. We strongly encourage all Polacon participants to join this group to stay up-to-date, make connections, and enhance the weekend! So what is PolaCon anyway? The Instant Film Society (IFS) was founded in 2012 with the mission of increasing awareness, accessibility and understanding of analog instant photography. For over a decade now, IFS has been a community pillar for the instant film community in the US, hosting get-togethers, photo walks, and (of course) their annual PolaCon. This year, PolaCon will be held in NYC for the first time. Programming will take place through out the city but will be primarily concentrated at venues in the Bushwick, Brooklyn neighborhood. If you’re booking hotels or Air BnB’s, we highly suggest looking in/around this neighborhood. Other close neighborhoods are: Williamsburg, Ridgewood, Bedford-Stuyvesant. What can you expect at this year’s PolaCon? Here’s the agenda (subject to change):

• ☞ THURSDAY (Day 0) 1:00 - 3:00 | Early-bird Meetup \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Check-in to PolaCon + get your wristband, grab some film, meet others, enjoy the space, vibe. 1:00 - 7:00 | BFC Backyard Social \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Slow things down and relax in BFC's backyard with other film photographers. Water will be provided by Liquid Death and vibes will be curated by Polaroid Radio. Stop on by, see who's around, and hang out for as long as you'd like in BFC's backyard oasis. \\ Open to the public 3:00 - 5:00 | PolaWalk to Williamsburg \\ Walk as a group from Bushwick to Williamsburg, grab some food, grab some photos. \\ Open to the public 5:00 - 7:00 | Happy Hour Meet n’ Greet \\ Union Pool - 484 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 \\ Throw back a couple drinks, meet other early-birds, and take a photo in the bar’s film photo booth. \\ Open to the public 7:00 - 9:00 | Polaroid Reclaimed Blue Gallery Opening \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Join us for the opening celebration of Polaroid's Reclaimed Blue group show! Come see work from over 25 artists on BFC's gallery wall, grab a beer or wine from our bar, and enjoy meeting local photographers and artists who are out to enjoy the opening night of the show. \\ Open to the public 9:00 - ??? | Late Nighter’s Treat \\ Skinny Dennis - 152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211 \\ Have a beer and enjoy some live music at this legendary honky tonk bar. \\ Open to the public ☞ FRIDAY (Day 1) 11:00a - 7:00p | Check-in to PolaCon \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Check-in to PolaCon + get your wristband, grab some film, meet others, enjoy the space, vibe. 11:00a - 7:00 | BFC Backyard Social \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Slow things down and relax in BFC's backyard with other film photographers. Water will be provided by Liquid Death and vibes will be curated by Polaroid Radio. Stop on by, see who's around, and hang out for as long as you'd like in BFC's backyard oasis. \\ Open to the public 12:00 - 2:30 | Meet n’ Greet n’ Pizza n’ Polaroids \\ Roberta’s Pizza - 261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 \\ Grab a slice at one of Brooklyn’s legendary pizza joints and meet other attendees. A large outdoor dining space is open when the weather is nice. 2:30 - 3:30 | Industrial + Street Art PolaWalk \\ We will walk together as a group through Bushwick’s industrial section and past a slice of some of the city’s best street art on our way to Wyckoff Windows Studios. \\ Open to the public 3:30 - 6:00 | Opening Festivities \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Welcome address from the organizers, workshops, demos, PolaCon Q&A. Shooting stations will be open to the public. 4:00 - 5:00 | Workshop: Polaroid Emulsion Lift Transfers with Cali Banks \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Learn Polaroid emulsion lifts with a master of the craft! Cali will show some of her work and will teach her techniques. She will have several stations set-up for attendees to do their own! BYOP (bring your own polaroids). \\ Class Size: 10-20 4:30 - 5:00 | Demo: Double Exposure and Self Portraiture with Sarah Eiseman \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ In this workshop, Sarah will demonstrate her techniques for creating double exposures and self portraits. If you haven't seen her work, take a look and your intrigued will be piqued! \\ Class Size: 10-25 5:00 - 5:30 | Talk: Instant Film Tips + Tricks Q&A Session with Daniel Rodrigue, Andy Odom, and Kyle Depew \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ IFS Founders Daniel and Andy join BFC founder Kyle for a Q&A Session on all things instant-film. Ask them anything your heart desires and they will dig into the recesses of their knowledge and memory banks to exhume you an answer - instantly! 5:30 - 6:00 | Demo: 4x5 and 8x10 Demonstrations with Nick Collingwood \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Join film photographer extraordinaire and instant film guru Nick Collingwood for a demonstration of large format photography! Go big or go home. Or just... go to this workshop becuase you'll probably learn a lot. 6:00 - 7:00 | Dinner Break \\ Make some friends and grab some food at one of the many great nearby restaurants. 7:00 - 10:00 | Welcome Party \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Drinks, dancing, entertainment, and some surprises! Shooting stations will be open to the public. \\ DJ vibes on vinyl by Brian Brooks 10:00 - ??? | Choose your own Adventure \\ Enjoy Bushwick’s many nightlife options just minutes from the event. Bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and more. \\ Some Suggestions: House of Yes (night club), MoonRise NYC (night club), Left Hand Path (bar), The Johnson’s (bar), Jupiter Disco (bar + dancing). \\ Open to the public ☞ SATURDAY (Day 2) 11:00a - 7:00p | Check-in to PolaCon \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Check-in to PolaCon + get your wristband, grab some film, meet others, enjoy the space, vibe. 11:00a - 7:00 | BFC Backyard Social \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Slow things down and relax in BFC's backyard with other film photographers. Water will be provided by Liquid Death and vibes will be curated by Polaroid Radio. Stop on by, see who's around, and hang out for as long as you'd like in BFC's backyard oasis. \\ Open to the public 11:00a - 11:30a | Meetup at the Park \\ Maria Hernandez Park, Center Circle \\ Gather up at the center of the park, grab a taco or coffee from the many local restaurants and vendors, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Bushwick’s busiest park. \\ Open to the public 11:30a - 12:00 | Street Art PolaWalk \\ Enjoy some of NYC’s most celebrated street art as we make our way to Wyckoff Windows Studios. \\ Open to the public 12:00 - 6:00 | The Main Event \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Workshops, Demos, Talks, Panel Discussions, Zines & Things Swap Meet, Vendors, and More! Shooting stations will be open to the public. 12:00 - 12:45 | Talk: "Portroids!" with Rick Demint \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Join legendary polaroid photographer Rick Demint for a discussion and Q&A about his 20-year practice of making "Portroids". Rick has made polaroid street portraits of some of the biggest celebrities of the last two decades. How does he do it? Why does he do it? What compels this insatiable instant urge?!? Join him to find out. 1:00 - 3:00 | Workshop: The Instant Challenge with Polaroid \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Join Polaroid for a multi-part workshop that you don't want to miss! Participants will each be given 2-packs of Polaroid 600 film and will be assigned photographic challenges to accomplish within the neighborhood in a 45-minute timeline. All participants will then submit three of their favorite images. 10 selected participants will have their images featured on Polaroid's instagram grid *and* win five packs of film! \\ Class Size: 30 (participants will be drawn by lottery if more than 30 attend) 1:00 - 1:45 | Workshop: Embroideroids with Bret Watkins \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Bret has been honing the delicate craft of embroidering his poalroids for years, so much so that he has even coined a term for it - "embroideroids"! Join Bret for a walk through of the process, to see some of his original pieces made over the years, AND to make an embroideroid of your very own. Please bring some polaroids with you to experiment on (ideally older images so the chemicals are dry and won't leak out when the image is punctured). 2:00 - 3:00 | Demo: 4x5 and 8x10 Demonstrations *and* packfilm troubleshooting with Nick Collingwood \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Watch and learn how to shoot Instax Wide film on a 4x5 camera! Feast your eyes upon a Polaroid 8x10 demonstration as Nick guides you through the process from start to finish! Learn how save troublesome packfilm cartridges! Nick is a certified polaroid freak. Don't miss it. 3:00 - 3:30 | Demo: Big Wide Demonstration and Q&A with Mario Machon \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Mario is a photographer and camera builder/hacker who's been pushing the bounds of 3D printing for years. He recently released a camera known as the Big Wide which is a modern alternative to the Polaroid Big Shot and it is SPICY. Come see why the Big Wide is turning heads all over the instant film scene and ask Mario anything your little heart desires about camera modification! 3:30 - 4:00 | Demo: Polaroid Transparencies with Pete Madden Jr. \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Join Pete for an in-depth demonstration on how to create transparencies utilizing B&W Polaroid films. Pete is an expert in the craft and one of the nicest guys you'll meet in the instant community. Swing on by and learn a thing or two! 4:00 - 4:45 | Workshop: Emulsion Lift Transfers with Daniel Hureira \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Join Dan for a demonstration on how to perform emulsion lifts with any integral Polaroid films and place them on cavas. Attendees will then be able to try these techniques themselves! Please bring your own Polaroids if you'd like to take part. Note: Images *must* be on Polaroid brand film; Instax film emulsions are not physically able to be lifted. 5:00 - 6:00 | Talk: The State of the Emulsion Address with Daniel Rodrigue, Ben Fraternale, Bret Watkins, Ryan Rudewicz, Sarah Eiseman, Chris Bartolucci, and Timothy Ditzler \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ A PolaCon tradition! Join this wonderful cast of characters for a panel discussion and Q&A covering a variety of instant and non-instant film related topics. Got a question you'd like to ask the panel? Bring it on! This crew is ready for you. God bless the United States of Emulsion. 6:00 - 7:00 | Dinner Break \\ Make some friends and grab some food at one of the many great nearby restaurants. 7:00 - 7:30 | Talk and Performance: Polaroid Event Photography with Ryan Rudewicz \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Ryan will ramp us into the night's celebrtions with a short talk about his experiences as an event photographer utilizing instant film as a primary medium and a performance that you DO NOT want to miss! 7:00 - 10:00 | PolaParty \\ Wyckoff Windows - 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237 \\ Drinks, dancing, entertainment, and a sumptuous surprise! Shooting stations will be open to the public. \\ DJ vibes on vinyl by Judikoa and Wren 10:00 - ??? | Choose your own Adventure \\ Enjoy Bushwick’s many nightlife options just minutes from the event. Bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and more. \\ Some Suggestions: House of Yes (night club), MoonRise NYC (night club), Left Hand Path (bar), The Johnson’s (bar), Jupiter Disco (bar + dancing). \\ Open to the public ☞ SUNDAY (Day 3) 12:00 - 2:00 | DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park \\ Meet at Pebble Beach + Bridge Park (near the Manhattan Bridge) \\ Shake off your hangover and meet-up with fellow bleary-eyed PolaPals in Brooklyn’s beautiful DUMBO neighborhood. The Brooklyn Flea Market will be there to enjoy and some of the most iconic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline are visible from this neighborhood’s vantage point. \\ Open to the public 1:00 - 8:00 | BFC Backyard Social \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Slow things down and relax in BFC's backyard with other film photographers. Water will be provided by Liquid Death and vibes will be curated by Polaroid Radio. Stop on by, see who's around, and hang out for as long as you'd like in BFC's backyard oasis. \\ Open to the public 2:00 - 3:00 | Brooklyn Bridge and Chinatown PolaWalk \\ Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan! We will then head north to Chinatown. \\ Open to the public 3:00 - 5:00 | Dim Sum and Tea \\ House of Joy - 28 Pell St, New York, NY 10013 \\ Take a rest after the walk and enjoy some dim sum (traditional Chinese food made up of small plates) and tea 6:30 - 8:00 | Wrap Party \\ Brooklyn Film Camera - 855 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11221 \\ Gather together, share the work you’ve made over the weekend, and say goodbye!

Please stay tuned to this page for updated programming and scheduling as the event nears.

Thanks to our Polacon NYC Sponsors: Polaroid Wyckoff Windows Studios Brooklyn Brewery Liquid Death