There are described a method for retouching photographic images, compositions adapted for such retouching, and photographic elements containing dye-forming couplers that yield dye images that particularly lend themselves to retouching by this method. The method comprises contacting a photographic element containing a dye image with a defined retouching composition to solubilize and remove selected areas or amounts of dye. The composition comprises an aqueous basic solution of a dinucleophile and a water-soluble organic co-solvent. The preferred photographic element for application of this retouching method comprises a dye image formed from a pyrazoloazole magenta dye forming coupler having a cleavable ballast group joined to the remainder of the molecule by one or two electrophilic cleavage groups. The retouching composition cleaves the ballast from the dye and solubilizes the dye, allowing it to be washed from the element.