Express yourself with the Canon Zoemini S2

Where does the rhythm of your life take you? Whether you're dancing in the street or stepping out on the town, capture and print your own unique stories as you explore the world with the Canon Zoemini S2. This pocket-sized 2in1 photo printer is designed for use with the Canon Mini Print app and enables content creators to shoot and print, all from one device.

Featuring an easy-to-use 8MP camera, ZINK™ technology and the ability to save photos to a Micro SD card for later, the Canon Zoemini S2 is the perfect tool for creatives keen to express themselves in the moment, as dancers Max Kion and Dottz Brown discovered when they took the instant camera and printer for a warehouse workout.

Born in Amsterdam, raised in Barcelona and now living in London, DJ and life coach Max Kion uses dance as a creative outlet – something that she began to take seriously during the nationwide lockdown in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I've always loved music and I've always loved to dance, but I'd never really taken it super seriously until the lockdown that's just passed in the UK," says Max. "That's when I really started to sit down, practise and learn stuff and I realised how much I loved it. That was my creative outlet, especially with house music – you can't not be happy when you're dancing to that. It's just my way of staying sane, really."

As well as featuring in music videos for house music producers, Max is also part of a group of shuffle dancers who gather in various locations across London with a set of speakers and a DJ.

"The vibes are so uplifting and so unified that it really becomes like a big community and that's where I recharge every week," says Max of her Sunday shuffle dance group.

South East London dancer and architect Dottz Brown is also part of the group and began dancing 13 years ago with friends.

"I actually started dancing when I was 15, pretty much at the birth of YouTube," explains Dottz. "Then on my 18th birthday, my sister got me a Canon camera when I finished school as a graduation present. I started making my own videos on YouTube just as a place to step back and try something. Every six months I would link up with a group of friends in Trafalgar Square in London and we would trade moves, practise and make videos. Basically, I got the bug when I was young and I never stopped."

Eager to turn moments into memories, Dottz and Max took the Canon Zoemini S2 for a spin in an empty warehouse. With the 2in1's slimline build and light weight, the duo found they were able to bring their creativity to life as it was happening.

"It was almost like an art project," says Dottz. "We were just having fun running around the building taking funny snaps and basically experimenting. We took a series of selfies and then assembled a collage on the wall using individual prints to make a bigger picture out of the series of smaller ones."

In addition to Selfie mode, the Canon Zoemini S2 has two further camera modes: Outdoor and Portrait, with the option to edit and add filters and borders in-camera, making use of the Effects and Frames buttons, prior to printing. Before taking a snap, users can also check images are in focus by using live view on the Canon Mini Print app. Outdoor mode works without flash, Portrait with Auto Flash and Selfie with the Ring Light.

Dottz has used instant cameras before and sees them as a tool to help creatives stay present in the moment. "Instant cameras put you in this weird mindset where the shot has to count. You don't want to waste the film, or in this case paper, which increases the value of the moment rather than decreasing it," he says. "It focuses your mind but also makes the memory more significant because you had to be present. You can't just press the shutter, take 60 shots and choose the nicest one. The nicest one is the only one. Make it count."

By connecting the Canon Zoemini S2 to her phone, Max was able to edit her favourite photos before printing using the free-to-download Canon Mini Print app – and found that the idea of mixing digital and print really inspired her. You can also edit your images in-camera if you'd prefer and customize them to your style.

"The Canon Zoemini S2 was very easy to use, and the app is very simple to navigate. It's a really clean-looking aesthetic," says Max. "Adding different effects is something I loved, and you can really personalise your own photo and almost scrapbook it by adding text, stickers and filters, which I thought was so cool.

"A lot of the time you see people take pictures of instant prints and then put them on their Instagram. I think it's a really good idea to be able to use the Canon Zoemini S2 both digitally and physically. I like that versatility."

For keen scrapbookers like Max, the Canon Zoemini S2 is also a brilliant tool to add a splash of your identity to your pages.

"It's so cool for scrapbooking especially," says Max. "I love to scrapbook as it's a form of meditation for me. Sometimes I'll theme by colours, and sometimes I'll theme by things I've collected from a day. Other times, I'll just add a bunch of stickers and draw. I can totally imagine myself using this to fill up my scrapbook, or for memories that I just want to put up on my wall."

For Dottz, the Canon Zoemini S2 got his imagination going with new and inventive ideas for his videos and stickers, as it can be loaded up with 10 sheets of sticky-backed ZINK™ Photo Paper.

"It just adds an aspect of creativity," says Dottz, who also has an Instagram account he uses as a digital sketchbook. "I'm immediately imagining in my head some of the visual effects I try to do in my videos. For example, were I to take a photo, print out that photo and show it to the camera, that still image becomes the first frame of the next video. It just looks like a fun tool.

"With the sticky paper, you could create a circular picture where you'd throw in a cartoon effect on yourself," he continues. "Add a white or a black ring around it, print off that circle and put it on your hat, trainers or on the back of your phone case."

However you want to customize your images, you can turn your moments into memories and share with friends thanks to the Canon Zoemini S2 – capture life's rhythm.

Written by Lorna Dockerill