Process for producing a high contrast photographic image

A process for producing a high contrast negative photographic image comprising developing an image-wise exposed silver halide photographic light-sensitive material with a developer containing (a) free sulfite ion in a concentration of at least 0.18 mol/l and (b) a dihydroxybenzene as the sole developing agent in the presence of at least one polyalkylene oxide having a molecular weight of at least 600 or a derivative thereof wherein said polyalkylene oxide is contained in said light-sensitive material or in said developer and wherein said silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprises a support having thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer and wherein the light-sensitive material or said developer contains at least one compound represented by the following general formula (I):

• R.sup.1 NHNHCOR.sup.2 (I)
• wherein R.sup.1 represents an aryl group;
• R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, a phenyl group or an unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in an amount of about 10.sup.-5 to 10.sup.-1 mol/mol of Ag and the silver halide is selected from the group consisting of silver chloride, silver chlorobromide, silver bromide, silver iodobromide and silver iodochlorobromide and the average grain size of said silver halide is about 0.7 micron or less.