This invention comprises a silver halide photographic material comprising at least one silver halide emulsion comprising tabular silver halide grains having associated therewith at least two dye layers comprising (a) an inner dye layer adjacent to the silver halide grain and comprising at least one dye that is capable of spectrally sensitizing silver halide and (b) an outer dye layer adjacent to the inner dye layer and comprising at least one dye, wherein the dye layers are held together by non-covalent forces or by in situ bond formation; the outer dye layer adsorbs light at equal or higher energy than the inner dye layer; and the energy emission wavelength of the outer dye layer overlaps with the energy absorption wavelength of the inner dye layer. This invention also comprises a silver halide emulsion comprising silver halide tabular grains sensitized with at least one dye containing at least one anionic substituent and at least one dye containing at least one cationic substituent provides increased light absorption.