Method of developing a hydrazine-containing light-sensitive material to form an image

An image forming method comprising developing a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material which comprises a support having thereon at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer which has been subjected to image-wise exposure,

• wherein the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material contains at least one kind of hydrazine derivative represented by general formula (NB) in at least one layer of the silver halide emulsion layer(s) and other hydrophilic colloid layers:
• A--(B).sub.m (NB)
• wherein A represents a connecting group, B represents a group represented by the following general formula (B-1), and m represents an integer of 2 to 6:
• --(L.sub.2 --Ar.sub.2).sub.n --L.sub.1 --Ar.sub.1 --NHNH--G.sub.1 --R.sub.1(B- 1)
• wherein Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2 each represents an aromatic group or an aromatic heterocyclic group;
• L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 each represents a connecting group;
• n represents 0 or 1;
• R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxyl group, an aryloxy group, an amino group or a hydrazino group;
• G.sub.1 represents --CO--, --SO.sub.2 --, --SO--, --P(.dbd.O) (R.sub.2)--, --CO--CO--, a thiocarbonyl group or an iminomethylene group;
• R.sub.2 is selected from those defined from R.sub.1 and may be different from R.sub.1, and
• wherein the development is conducted by using a developing solution having a pH of from not less than 8.5 to less than 11.0, which developing solution is free from a dihydroxybenzene developing agent, but contains a developing agent represented by general formula (1):
• ##STR69## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each represents a hydroxyl group, an amino group, an acylamino group, an alkylsulfonylamino group, an arylsulfonylamino group, an alkoxycarbonylamino group, a mercapto group or an alkylthio group;
• P and Q each represents a hydroxyl group, a hydroxyalkyl group, a carboxyl group, a carboxyalkyl group, a sulfo group, a sulfoalkyl group, an amino group, an aminoalkyl group, an alkyl group, an alkoxyl group, a mercapto group, or P and Q each represents atomic groups necessary for bonding each other to form a 5-, 6- or 7- membered ring together with the two vinyl carbon atoms at which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are substituted and with the carbon atom at which Y is substituted;
• .dbd.Y represents .dbd.O or .dbd.N--R.sub.3 ;
• and R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, an acyl group, a hydroxyalkyl group, a sulfoalkyl group or a carboxyalkyl group;
• wherein the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material further contains a nucleating accelerator in at least one layer of the silver halide emulsion layer(s) and the other hydrophilic colloidal layers.