The camera negative is projected onto negative film stock in a liquid environment - termed a wet gate - where the film stock is exposed using a contact process, so creating a like image (in effect, retaining the image in its negative -- i.e. "reversed" -- form) on negative film stock, as an intermediate step.
ðə kˈæmɹə nˈɛɡətˌɪv ɪz pɹədʒˈɛktᵻd ˌɑːntʊ nˈɛɡətˌɪv fˈɪlm stˈɑːk ɪn ɐ lˈɪkwɪd ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənt tˈɜːmd ɐ wˈɛt ɡˈeɪt wˌɛɹ ðə fˈɪlm stˈɑːk ɪz ɛkspˈoʊzd jˈuːzɪŋ ɐ kˈɑːntækt pɹˈɑːsɛs, sˌoʊ kɹiːˈeɪɾɪŋ ɐ lˈaɪk ˈɪmɪdʒ ɪn ɪfˈɛkt, ɹᵻtˈeɪnɪŋ ðɪ ˈɪmɪdʒ ɪn ɪts nˈɛɡətˌɪv ˈaɪ.ˈiː. "ɹᵻvˈɜːst" fˈɔːɹm ˌɔn nˈɛɡətˌɪv fˈɪlm stˈɑːk, æz ɐn ˌɪntɚmˈiːdiət stˈɛp.