Binghamton Photo & the Bundy Museum Presents
Into The Blue:
Cyanotypes by Kaitlyn Hession
First Friday Opening Reception June 5th, 2026
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Exhibition extended from 6.5.26 - 7.28.26
Located in the Binghamton Photo art gallery
32 Cedar St. (adjacent to the Bundy Museum)
Admission to the art gallery is always free
Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
No RSVP required for the First Friday event
For regular visiting hours, walk-ins are welcome, however, booking a reservation online is recommended. Upon arriving, please check in at our visitor’s center at 133 Main St., Binghamton NY.
Coming soon:
Watch a virtual tour of the gallery below or in the videos section at Facebook.com/bundymuseum and The Bundy Museum YouTube channel.
Artist Statement:
Film Photography has played a key part in my young adult life and continues to today. Not only have I been amazed by the process behind film development, but I’ve also developed an interest in how to manipulate film when it comes to printing or scanning it. For Into the Blue, I worked with Cyanotype processing.
The Cyanotype Process is one of the earliest forms of photography being invented in 1842 by Sir John F. W. Herschel (For context, the first photograph was taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce just 16 years prior in 1826). Despite originally being used to create blueprints for Mathematical tables and technical drawings, photographers often used this process at home to print negatives since it was an affordable option and a darkroom wasn’t needed.
The chemistry used for Cyanotype processing involves light-sensitive iron salts (potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate). Because of this, chemicals should be applied to the surface (paper, fabric, etc) in a dark room, so no excess light ruins the process. After the chemicals have dried, the subject can be put onto the chosen surface and covered with a sheet of glass to ensure proper contact printing. Once the setup is complete, the print can be exposed in two ways: natural sunlight or UV light. The timing of your print may differ depending on your light source and your subject. Finally, after your print reaches the signature Prussian blue color, it’s time to wash it in water and wait for it to dry!
For this gallery, I’ve chosen two types of subjects to print: Film Negatives and Botanical Plants. Both are super easy to use when it comes to printing cyanotypes and could be combined through double processing. I’ve also included some pieces that were printed on various types of fabric as well to show how versatile this type of photography can be.
Artist Bio:
Kaitlyn Hession is a photographer who has worked with many different fields of photography ranging from portraiture and landscapes to photojournalism and film.
One of her notable projects is called The Vacant Society where she researches abandoned places she’s been to for the sake of learning more about the place that was once there. Her goal with this project is to not only inform others about the historical significance behind these long-forgotten places, but also memorialize them through old photos and the stories that people tell about them for years to come. Kaitlyn first thought of the idea after her visit to the once famous Grossinger’s Resort, a place that was loved by many only to be abandoned for over 30 years until it was torn down in 2018. Even though she never experienced the vacation spot while it was still active, the memories people shared about it were enough to make her fall in love with the place despite it closing years ago.
Kaitlyn Hession received her Associates of Science from Tompkins Cortland Community College where she majored in Photography. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in New Communication Media from the State University of New York at Cortland. During her time at these institutions, Hession’s work was displayed in the colleges’ art galleries and in a local media outlet where she interned as a journalist.
Art Exhibit Virtual Tour: Coming soon
Into The Blue: Cyanotypes by Kaitlyn Hession
Feel free to direct any feedback by contacting us.
The First Friday Art Walk Virtual Gallery Shows at The Bundy Museum are made possible by a grant from The Harriet Ford Dickenson Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York.
Support Provided by the General Operations Support Grant from the United Cultural Fund, a program of the Broome County Arts Council.
The Bundy Museum of History & Art
129 Main St. Binghamton, NY 13905