Slower Speed 35mm Film (Rollei RPX 25)

I’ve been trying to force myself lately to use slower speed films than what I’m used to. Most of the time, my instinct is to reach for films more in the ISO 400 speed range. For over a decade my default film was Fuji Neopan 400. When that went away I transitioned to mostly Ilford HP5 with a little bit if Kodak Tri-X and Kodak T-Max 400 thrown in depending on what film stock I could find for the least amount of money. Some of that decision making has to do with geography for me. It’s overcast a good amount of the year in the Pacific Northwest so a film stock that is a bit on the faster end just makes good sense.

Fine art nude photograph of a female model made with Rollei RPX 25 35mm film with heavy shadows.

But that doesn’t mean I should limit my aesthetic choices purely for the sake of convenience. Especially as my tastes tend to change with time. I’m really starting to like the extreme amount of detail and sharpness one can achieve with really slow speed films, particularly in the 35mm format. This particular image was made with a Minolta SRT-101 and a roll of Rollei RPX 25, probably the slowest film one can easily find still fresh.

Admittedly it was a fairly bright day when I made this image so I was lucky enough to be able to hand hold the camera. Even still, I was photographing this at about 1/125th of a second and f/2.8. I appreciate all the fine details that emerge when film grain gets out of the way and true to life textures emerge. I’m also fairly shocked that I managed to maintain shadow detail as slower speed films tend to bunch up tonally and exhibit high contrast the majority of the time. I haven’t used Rollei RPX 25 much but I’m hoping I can replicate these results and this image doesn’t end up being a fluke.

Camera: Minolta SRT-101 with 50mm f/1.4 lens.

Film: Rollei RPX 25 in 35mm. Developed in Rodinal.


I support my photography in part with fine art print sales. All prints are limited edition and printed using traditional darkroom techniques on fiber based silver gelatin paper. If you like my work, consider supporting the arts and buying print via my Saatchi Store.

Alexis Kennedy

My name is Alexis Kennedy, welcome to my site! I have a passion for making images wherever and whenever I can. I seek to capture humanity and the world around me with a focus on the figure. Film, digital, pinhole, and instant photography are all fair game for me.


I grew up in the California Bay Area and started taking photography seriously in High School. I was one of the lucky few who had a chance to go to a high school with a working darkroom and a teacher who understood that making images was an art form – care and patience was a necessity in the image making process from start to finish.


Later in life I attended the University of California in Santa Cruz where I received a Bachelors Degree in the History of Art and Visual Culture. After having my fill of the California sunshine I packed up my life and moved to the Pacific Northwest. I quickly found the overcast skies, lush forests, cooler temperatures, and creative communities to be a perfect match for my work.


Over the years I have exhibited my photographs in several galleries and art shows including the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival and Cascade AIDS Project. I’ve published a few books and taught workshops up and down the west coast of the United States. Through this site I’m hoping to share my work and perhaps inspire others along the way.

http://www.alexiskennedyphotography.com
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