Volume transmission holograms have been recorded in dichromated poly(vinyl alcohol) (DCPVA), dichromated poly(acrylic acid) (DCPAA), and ferric chloride poly(vinyl alcohol) (FePVA) films using a 488-nm light (from an argon-ion laser), and the hologram development has been monitored in real time using a 647-nm line of the krypton laser. The influence of different chemical parameters (e.g., pH and electron donor) on the holographic efficiency has been determined, and an efficiency value as high as 70% was achieved in all three recording media. Further, the possible primary photoprocesses responsible for the hologram formation are tentatively identified and discussed