Novel bicyclic pyrazolo couplers containing a fully substituted carbon at the 6-position of the bicyclic structure and a ballast group of formula (I): ##STR1## are useful in photographic materials and processes. The couplers exhibit increased coupling activity, and provide formation of dyes having improved maximum magenta image dye density, contrast, and photographic speed when employed in color photographic materials and processes. The variables are defined more specifically in the specification.