Infinity Cove Photography – Everything You Need to Know
If you’ve ever wondered how professional photographers achieve those crisp, seamless backgrounds in product shots and commercial photography, the answer is often an infinity cove. Over the years running our East London studios, we’ve seen countless photographers discover the transformative power of shooting in an infinity cove for the first time. The reaction is almost always the same: “Why didn’t I use one of these sooner?”
Today, I’m sharing everything we’ve learnt about infinity cove photography, from what makes them so special to how you can get the most out of shooting in one.
What Is an Infinity Cove?
An infinity cove (sometimes called a cyc wall or cyclorama) is a curved studio wall that seamlessly transitions from vertical to horizontal, creating a smooth, continuous backdrop with no visible corners or edges. This creates the illusion of infinite space, hence the name.
The curve eliminates the harsh shadow lines you’d typically see where a wall meets a floor, giving you that clean, professional look that’s become synonymous with high-end commercial photography. It’s the secret behind those product shots where the background simply fades away into pure white or colour.
Why Infinity Coves Are Essential for Professional Photography
Having worked with everyone from independent creatives to major brands like John Lewis, Nike, and McDonald’s in our studios, I can tell you that infinity coves aren’t just a luxury—they’re often essential for achieving professional results.
The Benefits You’ll Notice Immediately
Seamless Backgrounds: The curved transition eliminates corner shadows and lines, creating that coveted “floating” effect for products. This is particularly crucial for ecommerce photography where clean, distraction-free backgrounds help products stand out.
Versatile Lighting: The smooth surface allows light to wrap naturally around your subject without creating harsh shadows in corners. You’ll find it much easier to achieve even, consistent lighting across your frame.
Faster Post-Production: When you’re shooting on a proper infinity cove, you’ll spend significantly less time in Photoshop removing background imperfections. For commercial clients working to tight deadlines, this efficiency is invaluable.
Professional Polish: There’s simply no substitute for the polished, high-end look an infinity cove provides. It immediately elevates your work and signals professional quality to clients.
Scalability: Whether you’re photographing jewellery or furniture, an infinity cove adapts to different subject sizes. Our largest L-shaped cove at 6 x 7 metres, for instance, can accommodate everything from small products to full room sets.
How to Make the Most of Infinity Cove Photography
Over the years, we’ve picked up quite a few tricks for getting the best results in an infinity cove. Here’s what works:
Lighting Techniques
High-Key White Backgrounds: This is probably the most common use. To achieve that pure white background, you’ll need to light the cove separately from your subject. I recommend starting with at least two lights on the background, positioned at 45-degree angles to ensure even coverage. Your subject lighting should then be balanced to avoid it going too bright.
Graduated Backgrounds: Don’t feel you need to blast everything white. Some of the most striking images use natural falloff, where the background gradually transitions from light to darker tones. This works beautifully for moodier product photography.
Coloured Lighting: While our infinity coves are painted white, they’re perfect canvases for coloured gels. You can transform the entire mood of your shoot with different coloured lights on the background.
Avoiding Hotspots: The curve can sometimes create unwanted bright spots if you’re not careful with light placement. Pay attention to your histograms and use flags or scrims to control spill.
Subject Placement
Position your subject away from the curve itself—usually a few metres forward works well. This gives you room to light both subject and background independently, and prevents unwanted shadows on the cove.
For smaller products, positioning them right at the start of the curve can help create that seamless transition. For larger subjects like furniture or people, keeping them well forward gives you more control.
Camera Angles and Composition
The beauty of an infinity cove is that it works from almost any angle, but there are sweet spots. Lower camera angles often emphasise the “infinite” quality, whilst higher angles can provide context whilst still maintaining that clean background.
We’ve found that medium focal length lenses (50-85mm) work brilliantly in our infinity coves, giving you a natural perspective without distortion. For smaller products, a macro lens becomes your best friend.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
We’ve seen these pitfalls catch out even experienced photographers:
Underestimating Background Lighting: Getting a truly pure white background requires more power than most people expect. Don’t be afraid to really pump light onto that cove—you can always flag it off your subject.
Ignoring Reflections: If you’re shooting reflective products, that beautiful white cove will show up in your surfaces. Sometimes this is desirable, sometimes not. Consider using black flags or cards to create definition in reflective surfaces.
Poor Colour Management: If you’re aiming for a pure white background but your lights are different colour temperatures, you’ll end up with colour casts. Keep your lighting consistent or be prepared for colour correction in post.
Not Testing First: Every infinity cove has its own characteristics. When we have clients in for the first time, I always recommend arriving a bit early to test your setup. What works in one space might need adjusting in another.
Choosing the Right Infinity Cove for Your Project
Not all infinity coves are created equal, and the size really matters depending on what you’re shooting.
For product photography and ecommerce work, a 4-5 metre cove provides ample space for most items whilst keeping lighting manageable. Our Studio 4’s 4.2m cove is perfect for this type of work.
For larger products, furniture, or fashion shoots, you’ll want something more substantial. Our Studio 2’s 6 x 7m L-shaped infinity cove is our largest and can handle sizeable set builds and multiple models comfortably.
The ceiling height matters too—our 3.5m ceilings give you enough vertical space to get your lights up and out of frame, which is crucial for achieving those clean overhead shots.
Beyond Product Photography
Whilst infinity coves are synonymous with product photography, they’re incredibly versatile. We regularly see them used for:
- Fashion and lookbook photography: The clean background keeps focus on the clothing and styling
- Headshots and portraits: Particularly effective for corporate work where you want a timeless, professional look
- Food photography: Combined with the right styling, an infinity cove can make dishes appear to float
- Video production: The seamless background works beautifully for talking head videos and product demonstrations
Black vs White Infinity Coves
At our studios, we offer both approaches. Our Studio 3 is a full blackout space with black floors and walls, which provides the opposite effect—pure black backgrounds for that high-contrast, dramatic look.
Black backgrounds require different techniques (backlighting becomes crucial to separate your subject), but the results can be equally striking. It’s particularly effective for luxury products, electronics, and anything you want to photograph with dramatic impact.
Making Infinity Coves Work for Your Budget
Professional infinity coves might seem like something only available to big-budget shoots, but that’s not the case. Hiring a studio with infinity coves is far more cost-effective than trying to achieve similar results with seamless paper and extensive post-production.
When you factor in the time saved in editing and the professional quality of the final images, infinity cove studios offer remarkable value. For commercial work where the images need to sell products, the investment pays for itself immediately.
Final Thoughts
The combination of versatility, efficiency, and professional quality makes them indispensable for serious photography work.
Whether you’re shooting ecommerce products, creating lookbooks, or producing content for major brands, an infinity cove gives you a foundation of quality that’s difficult to achieve any other way. The seamless background, controlled lighting environment, and time saved in post-production add up to better results and happier clients.
If you’ve been considering trying infinity cove photography, do take the plunge. Book a session, experiment with different lighting setups, and discover what’s possible when you have that perfect, seamless backdrop to work with.
The results might just transform how you approach your photography work.
At 69 drops studios, we offer three fully equipped infinity coves across our 6,000 square foot facility in East London, along with both daylight and blackout studio options. Whether you’re an independent photographer or working on a major commercial project, we’d love to help bring your creative vision to life. Get in touch to discuss your next shoot.