Are you envious of your friends’ Instagram feeds? Do you dismiss their great photos as “just” a product of an expensive smartphone? Or perhaps the result of a higher travel budget? (Like, it’s impossible to take a bad photo in Batanes, right?)

Fret not, dear readers. We asked Rem Zamora, who is not just an award-winning photojournalist, but also (and more importantly, in our book) a huge fan of Vespas, to give us some simple tips on how to take better photos with our smartphones.

This is for those of us who just want to share our day—but wish that our virtual life would look better online than lived. You know—to make it all seem more dramatic and more vibrant than reality.

1. Keep your lens clean—You’ll be surprised how a lot of scenes are ruined simply by having a dirty lens. Oil on your hands can smudge the lens, producing blurry photos.

2. Don’t zoom— Zooming in actually doesn’t enlarge your photos. A smartphone camera only has digital zoom and not optical zoom. The effect is no better than cropping your photos.

3. Keep your camera steady—Despite a smartphone being smaller and easier to handle than an SLR, it is also more prone to camera shake especially in low-light situations. Try to use both hands when taking photos.

Learn more tips to tell your story through photos everyday, whether you are a foodie, a travel junkie or just want to marvel at the beauty of everyday objects. Join a one-day workshop titled “Phonetography: Explore, Create and Inspire using your Smartphone” on April 8, brought to you by Inquirer Academy. Special discounts for students with valid IDs.

Call 8341557 or 09950979720, write to [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/InquirerAcademy.