7 Prints? How Many Can I Do In A Day?

I had a very good long sleep, now I am into a heavy darkroom printing session. I found 7 negs I like and might try to print. These negs are all on 4x5 film so they will be a bit easier to make than the problematic 35mm stuff. Am doing tests on the first print on the first photograph a flash 4x5 shot of a laughing 70+ year old trainer (have to check his name and age in my notes), the photograph was shot at the Muay Thai boxing gym in Klong Toey slum. I like the image because it shows a bit of joy which will help mix up the mood of the overall show, it cannot all be grim and glum! There was lots of joy and happiness when I made the pics, I got to show some of that as well.

Hopefully I can print at least 4 negs today, tomorrow I want to do secondary printing on some of the dried prints from the last 2 weeks of darkroom work. I need to do the final stages of bleaching and toning on these photographs, plus a hypo clear and second longer wash and drying before Monday. This coming work week I want to spot and frame another 10+ photographs bringing my overall number of completed images to 32. If I can get to about 32 with 1 week left it will take off some of the final minute pressure to get work done.

This is my first try at the laughing older trainer neg.

Steps so far:

- Developed in dectol 1/1 as I am out of Agfa WA developer.
- Exposure of 1 minute at F11, filter 2.
- Dodge face -10 seconds.
- Dodge each hand 17 seconds.
- Burn background lights backbackground shirt and white belt on shorts for 50 seconds at filter 0 with burning mask.

I have to see how this print looks dried, its probably to dark, I might play with the contrast also. It usually takes me about 3-6 prints to get a print down, this one is a bit simpler to print so expect to get it at 3 or 4.

This is the first attempt at my second neg, a photograph head shot of a young boy from the slum, I have his age and name in my notes. I will have to lighten parts of this print also, as it dries down the tones will shift to dark.

Steps so far:

- Exposure 95 seconds at F8 with filter 2.
- Dodge left eye 10 seconds one point.
- Dodge neck area 45 seconds spread out.
- Burn mask #1, 1 minutes 15 seconds (burn shoulders).
- Burn mask #2, 40 seconds (background behind boy).
- Burn mask #3, 2 minutes filter 0 (background white areas).

The final print of the night, the first attempt. I wanted to do 4 but its been 12 or so hours now (probably 14 or 15 before I am done) in the dark (with a few meal breaks) and I am spent. This portrait is of a older ex boxer in the gym, he was visiting on one of the days I was making photographs. He had such a sad melancholy expression, it makes the photograph. I need to improve the burn lines in the next prints and burn down some of the highlights on the face, I might try brightening the back highlights a bit also.

Steps so far:

- Exposure 90 seconds at F8 with filter 1 1/2.

- Burn arms, neck with mask #1 for 45 seconds with filter -1.

- Burn face highlights with mask #1 for 35 seconds.

- Burn background highlights with mask #2 for 2 minutes 15 seconds at F5.6.