How to make your own Infinite background for photography Do you know what it is and what it is for?

The infinity background is a photographic accessory widely used in those photographs that are going to undergo elaborate touch-ups (background changes, for example) and in product photographs (if you are interested in the subject, we have this super complete guide to delve into product photography) . Although it can also be given other uses that we will see. Today I am going to show you how to do it at home and very easily with this tutorial. But first let’s see what it is and what it is for.

What is an infinity background?

An infinite background is one that does not end, that has no borders or marks. The most used are white and black, although other colors can be used.

What is an infinity background used for in photography?

An infinity background is mainly used to eliminate distractions and focus attention on the subject. Although it can also be used to be able to later cut out the subject or the background and be able to change it in post-production.

As I told you at the beginning of the article, it is used when you want to make background changes in the process and for product photography (or both options together).

We can see it better with an example. Here we have a .annud layout photographed by the photography studio Cualiti. As you can see, the background is completely smooth (and infinite), with zero distractions, so all the attention falls on the product and the composition with the shadows.

Infinity background to highlight the background

Why make an infinity background for photography?

An infinity background is essential in any photography studio, although as I have already told you, the purpose of this article is more to think about you as an amateur, so that you can learn how to make a homemade infinity background and, by the way, practice and have fun. Or if, for example, you have a small business or you make some handmade product and you need to take your own photos to succeed on social networks with your brand.

It is also useful for playing with Lego-type dolls or creating stories, for gastronomic or pastry photography, for newborn photography, etc.

The use you give it will depend on your imagination and what you want to do. It is not something that you should always use, but another resource to unleash your creativity.

Here’s another example, this time with a black background.

black infinity background

How to make an infinity background for photography?

To begin, it is important to determine the purpose of the photograph. As we always say, it is not the same for a professional job, like the one I just showed you, as it is for an amateur level, which will surely be your case. Mainly, this question will determine the investment you are going to make. But there are from a simple sheet of paper to a wall built expressly as an infinite background in a studio.

Infinity background in studio

But there are also other aspects such as size, color or material that will be different depending on what you want to photograph and why.

Materials

The infinity background can be made with different materials:

  • Paper. It is perhaps the easiest to use, it has a perfect fall and does not form wrinkles. On the contrary, it deteriorates quickly. For small or medium objects it is perfect, both paper and cardboard.
  • Cloth or cotton. The good thing about the fabric is that it can be washed, it is easy to find in large formats and it is simple and comfortable to transport. The downside… it forms wrinkles.
  • Vinyl. It is the most recommended and used option by advanced and professional photographers because it has the advantage of paper, which is that it does not form wrinkles, and of fabric, which is washable. The drawback is usually the price, but the good news is that you can use an oilcloth that is used as a tablecloth and that you can find in multi-price stores.

Regardless of the material you use, it is important that it does not bend, that it does not make an angle because then a line would appear in the image and we would lose the concept of infinite background.

This would be the bottom, to hold it you can help yourself with painter’s tape (with a broad brush) or tweezers, for example. You have to find the support to hold it, which can be homemade, bought improvised, etc. Here are some examples of homemade backgrounds and their support.

With painter’s tape It has to make a curve and not bend Result Here a cardboard attached with clamps to some drawers and to the stool The result as is from the camera White cloth attached with the planters and clamp on the lamp As is from the camera, you can see the wrinkles that the fabric makes Result after a (very quick) edit to get the background completely white and without wrinkles Cardboard attached with masking tape Result of infinite white background Continuous drawing paper, stationery clips in the window and painter’s tape on the table Result of the infinite background with continuous drawing paper With the same drawing paper as background

As you can see, I have used little things that I had at home, but if you have tweezers of this type they are ideal. Bodybuilder’s tape or painter’s tape, with vinyl will go well, even with fabric if it holds the weight, with paper, the inconvenience is that sometimes it gets damaged when you remove it, but hey, the investment of the paper isn’t that much either, right? TRUE? 😅

Of

Price: €13.99

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You save: €1.00 (7%)

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Color

The most used are usually white and black, but it does not mean that you cannot use other colors. If you want it to change the background, you don’t care as long as it contrasts with the subject (that’s why chroma green is used, so bright for some recordings, because it contrasts a lot and then it’s easier to make the selection and separate it from the background).

If you are going to use it as a background, then it is important that you choose the color. To do this, the first thing is to think about the message you want to convey. Colors arouse sensations and the one you use both in the background and in the protagonist will provoke one emotion or another or have a certain impact.

In this article I tell you how to use color in your photographic compositions. What colors to use if you want to create contrast or harmony, what colors complement each other, what each color conveys, etc. So you can see how important it is, I leave you with a gallery of images with backgrounds of different colors. I want you to stop and think about what each image tells you, what each of these combinations transmits to you.

Size

The infinity background should be significantly larger than the object or pattern you are going to place in front of it. It’s that simple (or not), because if you take into account the optics that you are going to use, you can hurry more or less. You also have to consider how much space you want to leave around or if you prefer to enlarge the background later in Photoshop (if you control the theme).

For example, if you want to photograph a ring with a macro, an A4 size (folio size) will do, if you want to photograph some Lego or Playmobil dolls, an A4 would fall short, better an A3 (double folio) or if they are many would opt for an A2 type card. For larger objects, such as a still life, you will have to use the rolls of continuous paper or the oilcloths that are sold by the meter that are wider. To photograph people you will have to choose bed sheet sizes of 1.50, for example, or more, depending on how many people or the type of photo you are going to take.

These are just some examples. Once you are clear about what you are going to photograph and how, it will be easy for you to determine the size and, incidentally, the material, since it is likely that it will be conditioned.

Buy an infinity fund

Okay, you don’t feel like doing it, you don’t mind paying a little more but they give it to you done. It is just as lawful, if you do not have time to spare, it is preferable to spend it taking photos, right?

You need the support and the background. You can buy it together or separately. For example, if you are going to use it for newborn photography, you are interested in the support, because you will use appropriate blankets or gauze as the background. I leave you several options of background, support and both together. Look at the sizes because it is important.

Support more background

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Price: €52.99

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Of

Price: €56.49

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You save: €6.50 (10%)

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Background

Of cotton:

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Price: €41.49

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You save: €1.50 (3%)

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Cotton and polyester (in black, white and chroma green):

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Price: €24.99

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Vinyl available in a lot of colors: