The behavior of photoelectrons captured by traps and early stage latent image formation in undoped or Ir-doped AgCl grains was studied by photoconductivity-modulation techniques. Silver atoms were formed at the grain surface of undoped grains in ∼10−4s and near Ir ions of Ir-doped grains several seconds after exposure of the samples to a light pulse. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.