The present invention relates to a method for developing an exposed high contrast photographic silver halide material, said photographic material comprising a support bearing at least one silver halide emulsion layer, containing at least one hydrazide nucleating agent. According to the invention, the nucleating agent has the formula (I) and the photographic material is developed in a hydroquinone-free developer, comprising a main developing agent of the ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid salt type, and as auxiliary developing agent a mixture of 3-pyrazolidones of which at least one has the formula (II): wherein at least one of the radicals R3 to R9 contains a solubilizing group. This combination enables photographic materials with ultrahigh contrast to be obtained.