A silver halide photographic material comprising a support having thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer, said emulsion layer or at least one of other hydrophilic colloid layers containing a compound represented by formula (I):PWR--Time--.sub.T LA (I)wherein PWR represents a group which undergoes reduction to release (Time).sub.t LA; Time represents a group which release LA upon reaction following release of (Time).sub.t LA from PWR; t represents an integer of 0 or 1; and LA represents a group having a maximum light absorption in a wavelength range of 310 nm or more. In a preferred embodiment, one of said other hydrophilic colloid layers substantially free of the compound represented by formula (I) is provided between said at least one silver halide emulsion layer in said silver halide photographic material and one of said other hydrophilic colloid layers containing the compound represented by formula (I), and at least one of these hydrophilic colloid layers or at least one other of said other hydrophilic colloid layers contains a hydrazine derivative. A process for the formation of an ultrahigh contrast image, which comprises exposing the above-described silver halide photographic material to light, and then developing the silver halide photographic material with a developing solution having a pH of 11.0 to 12.3 and containing 0.15 mol/l or more of sulfite ions.