(57) A process of obtaining highly stable color dyes (e.g. color masking dyes) comprises use of an element which has a support having thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith an essentially colorless, immobile, ligand-releasing compound of the structure LIG-X. In this structure, LIG is a ligand which is capable of complexing with metal ions (e.g. ferrous ions) to form a metal complex dye, and X is a group which, as a function of silver halide development, is cleaved from LIG. A color image is formed by developing the described element after imagewise exposure with a developing agent to imagewise cleave the bond between LIG and X, and treating the developed element with metal ions (e.g. ferrous ions) to form a metal complex dye image.