Images are formed in silver halide color photographic materials by the dye that results from reaction between oxidized silver halide developing agent and a dye-forming compound known as a coupler. It is known to retouch such dye images by selective destruction and/or removal of dye. Retouching techniques are described in photographic publications and literature, such as Professional Photographer, November 1989, Vol. 116, No. 2130, pages 44-48, Professional Photographer, December 1989, Vol. 116, No. 2131, pages 30-34, and in Harder et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,430 issued Feb. 5, 1991.
A problem with the known methods of retouching is that they depend on the selective destruction or solubilization of dyes formed from couplers chosen for reasons other than their retouchability. Thus, it is difficult to differentially remove dye density of one color without also affecting dye of another color. This is particularly true of relatively stable dyes, such as those derived from pyrazoloazole couplers. In photographic elements containing magenta dye images formed from pyrazoloazole dye forming couplers, it is difficult to remove the magenta dye without also affecting the images formed from the cyan and yellow dyes.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide elements, compositions and methods with which dye images which normally are difficult to retouch are rendered selectively retouchable. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a technique that is selectively applicable to dyes formed from couplers of all classes, rather than having the bleaching technique dependent on the fundamental structure of the dye.