Make memories last with the Canon Photo Cube

Whatever you plan to do with your photos, it's worth thinking about your output options right from the point when you’re taking the shot. How will your picture come out in print? What type of images would look best on a 14x14cm cube?

It's worth considering taking a proper camera with you on your trip or holiday to ensure the quality of the pictures you will be printing. When the occasion deserves more than a snapshot on a smartphone, a camera such as the Canon EOS R100 offers impressive picture quality and ease of use, with helpful tech and auto modes, in a package lightweight enough not to weigh you down.

Whichever camera you choose, it's a good idea to shoot in the highest possible resolution and ideally in RAW format. This will give you more latitude to crop down to a detail or area you want to print, with the image remaining sharp and detailed.

When thinking of holiday images, it's natural to imagine picturesque, well-lit scenes with the sun shining perfectly upon any subjects, but this may not always be the case. What is most important is to capture a true representation of the subject and the moment in time. With this in mind, remember that candid shots can capture a moment even better than posed and carefully-composed ones. You can always crop and enhance them afterwards – more about this shortly.

Take advantage of camera features such as automatic modes and autofocus. If your camera offers the option of eye-tracking AF, as Canon's EOS R System cameras do, then you won't have to worry at all about getting your subjects in sharp focus.

See more tips for taking photos that will look great in print.

One of the great things about the Photo Cube is that it can be entirely personalised – you're free to choose any six photos you want to feature. When you return from a trip, you'll probably have a lot of shots to choose from, so it can be difficult to narrow these down to find the best ones. It's worth thinking about what parts of your trip that you want to show exactly.

Do you want to show stunning landmarks and the impressive architecture you came across? Do you want to display beautiful scenic images of sunsets, oceans and breathtaking nature? Or perhaps smiles and laughs, with group shots of you, family and friends.

With the Canon Photo Cube, you can choose to go with one of these categories or you can do a mixture of them, creating a more rounded compilation of the trip.

With the Canon Photo Cube Creative Pack, there is the option of a Photo Cube Frame – a free-standing acrylic magnetic photo block that's a contemporary twist on the traditional photo frame. This offers even more versatility and choice in how you display your photos. You can select one image to feature or change images whenever you please. You can do the same on the Photo Cube itself, keeping it always fresh.

The Canon Photo Cube is designed to hold and display square images, so you'll want to crop your shots to frame them just as you want. Think about the resulting composition as you do. You don't have to position your subjects in the middle of the frame – positioning them off-centre and using composition principles such as the rule of thirds can make for more interesting pictures.

You can use a wide range of Canon printing apps on your smart device or computer to crop, and all of them give you options for editing your images and adding creative touches as well. With apps such as Easy-PhotoPrint Editor you can add text, frames or symbols to decorate an image. With Canon PRINT on your smartphone or tablet or Digital Photo Professional (DPP) on your computer, you can adjust contrast or colour saturation as you desire to enhance the overall look of your image.

For creative effects, you can apply different Picture Styles in-camera or afterwards in DPP. These are a quick and easy way to give an image a particular look, applying a range of adjustments to colour, tone and sharpness with just a click, and – provided you shoot in RAW – you can remove or change them at any time.

You can even turn an image into a timeless black and white shot if, for example, you decide that a black and white Photo Cube would look better alongside already colourful décor in your home, creating an aesthetically pleasing contrast. This might add a sophisticated touch and help the Photo Cube to complement your style. Black and white images have always been said to have a classic charm to them. Without the distraction of possibly garish or visually confusing colour, black and white can also help viewers focus on the subjects, textures, shapes and emotion within the image.

The Canon Photo Cube offers a creative and unique way to showcase your cherished holiday memories. Its versatility allows for greater personalisation, giving you the opportunity to display a variety of images, from breathtaking landscapes and well-known monuments to fun moments with loved ones.

Images displayed in a Photo Cube can really catch the eye and make a striking home decoration or keepsake. However, to ensure that the colours and details remain over time, it's advisable to use genuine Canon inks in the printing process. These inks are designed to deliver vivid and long-lasting colours that will continue to remain vibrant and alive for years to come.

The Canon Photo Cube is more than a display of photos, it can be a beautiful souvenir in its own right, preserving treasured moments in a small but mighty form.

Written by Mabinty Taylor-Kamara