sounds like you have the wrong bulbs for the enlarger.
typically at f8 at the size you are mentioning I am between 8-15 seconds.
I would put in proper bulbs for the enlarger first.
Second , I have found that trying to hard in the darkroom can lead to frustrating results. Evaluate the negatives a bit more on a light table, consider the range of the negative , its overall density, the amount of base plus fog density on the edges of the neg and make a guess and see how close you are .
Do this every time you put in a negative to print and slowly let your eyes/mind become your guide for exposure development.
Watch the print emerge from the dev, see what areas come up first , see what areas are not coming up, by doing this you will start getting a handle of the contrast issues and where you will need dodging and burning.
Try to keep all your moves simple and repeatable, keep working until you have a reasonable print, then do two prints that are totally different by either adjusting the contrast or density..
The next day you should look at the three finals and judge how that paticular neg behaved in the chemicals and how the prints look when dry.
I think a lot of printers make things way too difficult for themselves and are reaching out for combinations that will improve their work , when really all you are doing is laying down tone on a piece of sensitized paper that is eager to recieve those tones.
I encourage you to pay more attention to the easel, dev tray and fix tray , by watching and keeping everything in your workflow constant*time , temp, chems* you will over a period of a few sessions start seeing better in the darkroom.
Something I have always seen in a darkroom when I have people printing with me , is the randomness of how they select what negatives and when.
Most photographers want to print what they think are the best images first and during a session hop around alot from image to image if things are not working well. Or select a totally different negative for the second print. This really is a time killer as always the first print is the lead in for your whole day and if you think about it , its like a chef preparing for one meal and then immediately changing to a different meal which requires a whole set of different steps.
** when I print shows I will typically take in 6-12 negatives with me for a days printing, large prints less small prints more, I will then put all the negatives on a light box and pick the image I think most represents the show I am printing. Once I have finished this negative and print I put the finished negative on the light box again and look for the negative that looks most like the first* lighting,density,contrast*
I follow this through the day and the workflow is smooth and comfortable.
At the end of the day I have either completed all the negs or have some left over. Next day I add more negs to the mix to continue on with the project.
When I am printing for a photographer who is in the darkroom , I try to do the same thing , but it always boils down to two negs into the day the photographer gets antsy and wants to see different negs than a natural progression and this is why I charge by the hour rather by the neg if the photographer is in the room because these major negative changes create havoc as they are sometimes completely different and require a complete set up change. To me this is crazy and why I want to be paid for the photographers impatience.
I hope the above does not sound too crazy but I have found keeping it very simple and repeatable, and moving from common negatives will make your work a lot more repeatable, better quality , less waste and most important , allows you to have fun in the darkroom , rather than frustration.
Sheesh, I'm getting discouraged in the darkroom! It seems I've been able to deliver a few quality prints over the course of more than 40 years of casual darkroom learning and use......BUT,
More often than not, lately, I've done my test strips, adjusted the variable contrast, re-adjusted contrast & exposure, test print an 8X10, deposit in the circular file, repeat ad nauseum at $1 a throw. Pricey and FRUSTRATING!!!
Dump the chemistry...plan to try again the next day.
Granted, I've spent 7/8 of the mentioned time behind the camera, and obtain great negs (good exposure & developement, contrasty, detailed); but DAMNED if I can get a print I'm happy with lately!! My exposure times are stretching to the 2 minute mark (including dodging/burning) for a full framed
8X8 with a 2 1/4 neg and a 75mm lens @ f8. I bought a bunch of cheap halogen bulbs for replacement in my enlarger....can they go dim before they burn out? Or is it my impatience? Seems to me I remember 30 second exposures for the same sized print. Comments?
Can't get a grip on contrast, exposure...Jeeze, this is befuddling me!!
