Method for forming direct positive color images

A method for forming a direct positive color image which comprises (i) image-wise exposing to light a light-sensitive material comprising a support having provided thereon at least one photographic emulsion layer containing unfogged internal latent image type silver halide grains and a color image-forming coupler;

• (ii) developing the light-sensitive material with a surface developing solution containing an aromatic primary amine type color developing agent in the presence of a nucleating agent and/or fogging exposure;
• and (iii) bleaching and fixing the resulting material to form the direct positive color image, wherein the pH of the developing solution is 11.5 or less;
• the color coupler itself is a substantially non-diffusible compound which forms or releases a substantially non-diffusible dye by oxidation coupling with an aromatic primary amine type color developing agent;
• and the internal latent image type silver halide grains have a core/shell built-up structure wherein the core is composed of silver bromide, silver bromoiodide, silver bromochloride or silver bromochloroiodide, which contains 90 mol% or more of silver bromide and 10 mol% or less of silver iodide, and the shell is composed of silver bromochloride or silver chloride, which contains 20 mol% or more of silver chloride.