Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What do chromogenic films include that differentiates them from traditional films?

1. Only silver halides

2. A mix of dye couplers and silver halides

3. Plastic substrates

4. Non-silver based chemicals

The correct answer is: A mix of dye couplers and silver halides

Chromogenic films are characterized by their unique development process, which involves a combination of dye couplers and silver halides. This differentiates them from traditional films, which primarily rely on silver halides alone for capturing images. In chromogenic film, when exposed to light, the silver halides form a latent image, which is then developed through a chemical process that involves the dye couplers. These dye couplers react with the developing agents to produce color dyes, resulting in a negative image that is then printed onto paper, typically yielding vibrant colors and a wide tonal range. The use of both dye couplers and silver halides allows chromogenic films to produce full-color images efficiently, making them popular in both commercial and amateur photography. Additionally, this process is essential in color negative films, which are widely utilized in the industry for various applications, including portrait and wedding photography. While options mentioning only silver halides or non-silver based chemicals pertain to different types of films or processes, they do not highlight the key feature of chromogenic films, which is the incorporation of dye couplers alongside silver halides to achieve color reproduction.