Disclosed is a photographic element comprising a support bearing a light sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye forming coupler having a formula I, wherein: Ballast is a group containing at least 6 aliphatic carbon atoms, V represents a chain of three or four atoms, which may be substituted, selected from C, N, O and S sufficient to form an aromatic ring fused to the azole ring and n is 0 or 1, provided that if n is 0, Y and Ballast are directly attached to the 5-membered azole ring, W is an electron withdrawing group selected from the group consisting of —CN, —CONR1R2, —CO2R1, —NO2, and —SO2R1 where R1 and R2 are H or substituents; X is H or a coupling-off group; Y is H or a substituent; Z is an atom or group selected from >N—R, —O—, and —S—.