Getting the exposure right should be your first priority. It sounds as
though you are severely overexposing your films. Use the film manufacturers
recommended ISO/ASA rating and bracket +/- one stop in half f/stop
increments to find what works best for you. One of the five bracketed
exposures should be close to optimum.
The manufacturers developing times are starting points and may need some
adjustment to print with a full tonal range on your standard/normal choice
of paper.

"Keith Tapscott" <keith`s_not@home.com> wrote in message news:...

Use a hand meter that can measure both ambient and flash.

[ I take it you are using an on-camera flash ]

Yes, and .... ? Dig through old photos - that's the way B&W
was before our memories became colorized.

On-camera flash lighting is _flat_, the penultimate being
a ring-flash.  On camera flash works with color, where the
color provides the contrast.  If you really want to see
blah load up a P&S with some Tri-X and take pictures of
people sitting on the couch.

To increase the contrast you need off-camera lighting coming
at an angle to give shadows on the subject.

You can get some contrast by having the subject far away from
the background, say a 6ft distance to the subject and a 12ft
distance to the background, that will give you a 2 stop increase
in overall contrast and make the subject stand out from the
background.  The subject will still be flat.

My advice is to trade the flash in for a tripod and use ambient
light for the exposure.  Now you will have too much contrast.
Keep a 2x4 ft sheet of foamboard around to use as a light
reflector to fill the shadows.  Use the flash with
a handkerchief over the light as a fill and eye sparkler,
avoiding 'grey eye'.

Look for old Hollywood publicity/glamour shots and take
note of the lighting.  Try and imitate it a bit by the placement
of the subject wrt to table/floor lamps, windows etc.