In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a photographic element is described comprising a support bearing one or more hydrophilic colloid layers including at least one photographic silver halide emulsion layer, wherein sequestered silver ions are incorporated into at least one hydrophilic colloid layer in the form of a silver ion containing material which sequesters silver ions prior to photographic processing and releases silver ions upon exposure to photographic processing solutions. Method for preparing and processing such photographic element are also described. In accordance with particular embodiments of the invention, the silver ion containing material comprises a silver ion-exchanged zeolite material or an intercalation composition comprising a layered host material having silver ions inserted as guest ions between the layers of the host material. The invention provides novel photographic materials and a method of incorporating silver ions directly into a photographic imaging element with improved stability and keeping response. The incorporation of silver ion containing materials into a photographic element in accordance with the invention enables increased upper scale density without excessive build-up of fog in the system.