Polymorphism and polymorphic transformation of a photographic coupler have been examined using hot stage optical microscopy (HSOM). Two different polymorphs, metastable needle-like crystals and stable cubic-like crystals, were identified on heating. A solid-state transformation was found to occur from the metastable form to the stable form. Both polymorphs can precipitate from coupler solutions. The needle-like crystals appear in all cases examined; the cubic-like crystals precipitate only with higher concentrations and lower cooling rates. The solution-mediated transformation occurs in an organic solvent through dissolution of the metastable polymorph and growth of the stable polymorph. The growth rate of the stable polymorph is dependent on temperature as well as concentration. The activation energy of the growth is estimated for coupler solutions with different concentrations.