A photonic crystal material and a method for producing such a material according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional porous template. The method include the steps of: (A) preparing a porous template, wherein the preparation step includes the sub-steps of (i) dissolving a first material in a volatile solvent to form an evaporative solution, (ii) depositing a thin film of the solution onto a substrate, and (iii) exposing the solution film to a moisture environment while allowing the solvent in the solution to evaporate for forming the template that is constituted of an ordered array of micrometer- or nanometer-scaled air bubbles, which are surrounded with walls and are dispersed in a film of the first material; (B) filling the air bubbles with a second material; (C) at least partially removing the walls to create a plurality of voids; (D) refilling the voids with a third material; and (E) removing the second material from the air bubbles to obtain the photonic crystal material in the form of an array of air bubbles with walls made of the third material.