Spectrally sensitized emulsion sensitive to irradiation wherein said emulsion comprises {111} tabular silver halide grains rich in silver bromide having an average aspect ratio of at least 2 with two flat parallel {111} crystal faces accounting for a total projective surface of said parallel crystal faces in said emulsion of at least 50%, characterized in that a site-directing compound is present, satisfying the general formula (I.1) or (I.2)
- wherein each of the substituents R1-R4 independently represents hydrogen, an alkyl, an aryl or an alkyl;
- wherein R1 and R2 and/or R3 and R4 may form a benzoring, which, if substituted, has the same or different substituents as R1-R4;
- wherein R represents an alkyl, an aryl or an aralkyl group;
- wherein R′ represents hydrogen, an alkyl, an aryl or an aralkyl group;
- and wherein cations or anions are present as charge compensating ions.