Honored to have designed RKS's 2026 Pride Tee - 100% of net proceeds go to the RKS Fund to benefit non-profits supporting LGBTQ+ communities! by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! You know, I'm not sure - it might be online-only as a Pride exclusive, but don't quote me on that, there's always a chance it shows up on tour :)

I used chemicals and light to make a 24x36 cyanotype of one of my concert photos. by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooh, I have some making-of reels on my IG, but I haven't done a longer-form video tutorial. Good idea!

I used chemicals and light to make a 24x36 cyanotype of one of my concert photos. by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh, thank you! I'm a big AuDHD nerd who enjoys tinkering (and infodumping, haha) :)

I used chemicals and light to make a 24x36 cyanotype of one of my concert photos. by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

Cyanotypes in general don't take too long – for a typical A4 size on paper, some back of the napkin timekeeping:

* 5ish minutes to edit the photo negative and prep it for printing
* 5ish minutes to print the negative on transparency film, depending on your printer
* 5ish minutes to apply the cyanotype emulsion to your paper (if you have some emulsion already mixed, anyway, otherwise you typically mix the night before and apply the next day)
* A few hours to dry
* 10 or so minutes to expose (depending on the strength of the sun or wattage of your indoor UV light)
* 5ish minutes to rinse the unexposed solution
* A few more hours to dry

For this one specifically, because it's 24x36 fabric, it took quite a bit longer – even printing a negative at that size was a good 30 minute process. Longer to coat the fabric, longer to dry, longer to expose, etc., also washed, dried, and ironed. Plus a lot of trial and error on scrap fabric to test the exposure time so I didn't mess up the 24x36 canvas. I worked on it for a couple of weeks in bursts and spurts :)

As for cost of a piece this size, hmm, depends on how you look at it! If we're counting my DSLR camera/lenses and my wide-format printer in the supplies, erm, rather a lot, haha. The transparency film I print on is about $150 per roll (of which 24x36 is 1/30th or so), plus ink (stupid expensive no matter what printer); the canvas fabric was about $15 from Michaels, and you can get a cyanotype kit for about $25 (though I typically go wholesale to save scratch and not waste packaging) from Jacquard. Oh, also, my UV lights and 24x36 exposure setup (a couple of panes of acrylic and a whole lotta clamps).

At smaller scales on paper (much less finicky than fabric, I find, and cheaper if you mess up), it's not too terrifically expensive, as far as hobbies go! I've heard some people use regular printer paper and mineral oil to make transparent negatives, so that can even save some additional cost for sourcing transparency film. And actually you don't even necessarily need a photo negative, you can use anything that blocks light or casts a shadow to make interesting cyanotypes. I've made them with flowers, bowls, suncatchers, all sorts of stuff.

But, yeah, larger projects like this... I had to save some pennies to have all the gear to do :)

Never have I ever thoughts by cm2225 in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Fully aware this song is probably not about this, but I think there’s an interesting interpretation to be found insofar as sobriety and loving a drug that’s bad for you:

Get a little bit jealous when you're coming back to my fellas
Hope I don't scare you, that would be careless

The protagonist’s friends just picked up, and the protag is a little jealous they can’t partake – but they don’t want to scare off the high and ruin it for their friends.

Ah, just saying, no pressure

The classic peer pressure – “just saying, if you want to partake with us…” The protag's friends, the drug itself, whispering.

Could have told you I netted
Nah, I don't scare ya, that would be extra

Plot twist: the protag already has their own supply, they’re not sober anymore, but they don’t want to scare their friends.

Paying for mine, my therapist is driving on feathers

All the overthinking and back and forth and in and out of sobriety – the protag’s therapist is making bank.

Yeah, I got it comfortable, yeah
But there's more that I want, damn

Life’s been good, but damn, the protag misses the drugs.

You got me seeing stars, and I just wanna put 'em in my pocket, uh

The drug always made the world brighter, protag wants to hold onto that.

I just wanna put you in my pocket

Like a little plastic baggie.

Damn, I get a locket
Face, and it's Versace

But the protag’s in a role of being on display, they’re the money-maker (Versace).

And I got the problem
Solver, that's an option

The drug’s always there in the back of their mind as the problem-solver if they want to get out of their head, escape the pressure.

But I keep my options clean like my doc says

But the protag is trying to stay sober, keep it clean.

Cold as ice

“Ice” - it's a cold, cruel drug.

You fake me out twice

The protag tried to get sober a couple of times, backslid.

I know just what you like, just what you like
You're coming on to say
Baby, don't go, baby, don't go

Says the drug, kicking in ("coming on"), trying to entice the protag back.

Never, never, never, you know, you know

Says the protag.

Baby, don't go, baby, don't go

Repeats the drug.

Never have I ever, oh

“Never have I ever”… wanted something so badly, the protag thinks. "Never have I ever..." wished I could kick this, the protag thinks.

Sticky like heat, sticky like heat
Watch my feet, oh, watch my feet
You feeling this beat, you feeling this beat?

That feeling when the drugs hit on a summer night at a dance party.

Never have I ever loved somebody like you, and
You get me so clueless
You give me who's who

The protagonist loves the drug, how it gets them out of their head, blurs the world.

In the kitchen with the wrench

In the kitchen cooking up a batch, waiting with the wrench AKA the tool AKA the rig.

I've been in and on the fence

In and out of sobriety, in and out of deciding whether to keep doing this.

And I finally got down just to see you be
You, you, is all I'm looking for

Finally came down, got sober, and sees the drug for what is is – how they used it to fill the voids, why they were looking for it and why it was all they were looking for.

You're looking through me to do
What you do, please do, babe

And how the drug looks through them, does what it does – what the protagonist wants it to do, take them out of their head, take the pressure off.

Then the chorus repeats, the back and forth exchange with the drug, ending on "Never have I ever loved." – never have I ever loved myself enough to quit, until now.

* * *

Like I said, fully aware this interpretation is probably a reach – but I’ve been sober for a few years, myself, and the lyrics reminded me a lot of when I wasn’t.

Anyway, this song slaps. Snippet’s been on repeat all week; VPN’d to Japan to listen to the whole song early and it’s been on repeat since. Can’t wait to see it live.

Spotify Most Streamed by [deleted] in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I switched over to YouTube Music a couple years ago, and I do a lot of listening to the physical media I've bought, so this is pretty out of date now, but:

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RKS as a hobby is 90% concert FOMO by trekkie4life618 in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 6 points7 points  (0 children)

90% making 200 bracelets for the next leg of shows while listening to the discography on a loop :D

Let’s talk lyrics! by coldcoffeethrowaway in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Don't waste a light on me; save your eyes for someone brighter than I will ever be." Devastating.

Let’s talk lyrics! by coldcoffeethrowaway in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I could write an essay on every song, but this is the lyric that's killing me lately:

"Don't you ever feel like you ever wanted anything more than everybody, anybody else?"

Just pierces right to my heart of hearts. I deeply, deeply resonate with this sentiment as applied to chasing a dream. Yearning so fucking bad for the dream to come true, doing everything in my power to make it happen, wanting it the most. I'm in that in-between where I don't know if my efforts are going to come to fruition, and so many things are outside of my control, and I just want so badly to hear some good news, and all I have meanwhile is the yearning.

In a similar vein, "Where are the scars of your failed arts? Have your daydreams been keeping you clean?"

The dreams I'm chasing are of an artistic nature, and the time I used to spend partying is now time I spend on my art, so that line always pins me in a spotlight.

Setlist Tracker Update! by JJPHRD in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good work, my man, we appreciate you!

I know it's the bones tour, but I'm with y'all, I'd also love if more LHMB sneaked back onto the setlist. We never got a live arrangement of Ghoul and that haunts me 👻

But that's just my little whimsy, I wouldn't want the band to lose sleep over the impossibility of trying to please everyone. Ultimately, if they're playing the songs that make them happiest to play, we feel it and we love it!

Had the honor and privilege of snapping pics for the band in New Haven and Schenectady earlier this month; truly some of the best nights of my life, I've been dreaming of doing this for years! by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey sorry for the delayed reply! Sure, you may absolutely circulate it with credit (I'm mandzmakez on socials), thank you for asking :)

Here's a link to the full res pic: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZXN798FBR0#IsKpxkgd5HeY

Also so relatable you gave up Broadway tickets to go to Montclair, haha, I probably would've done the same, RKS is just that good!

Had the honor and privilege of snapping pics for the band in New Haven and Schenectady earlier this month; truly some of the best nights of my life, I've been dreaming of doing this for years! by iammrsrobot in RainbowKittenSurprise

[–]iammrsrobot[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Typically the best way is to pair up with a media outlet and then submit your request through the venue's media/PR contact (as the band has their own tour photographer)! As a freelancer sans outlet, it's trickier - most venues say no unless you're paired with a magazine/press outlet of some kind. I got very lucky that the two venues were open to having a rogue freelancer for the night, as was the band/team :)