Last updated: May 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology. We may earn a commission if you enroll through links on this page — it never changes what we recommend.
QUICK VERDICT
Bottom line: For most people, “learning photo editing” means learning Adobe Lightroom for everyday workflow and Adobe Photoshop for heavier retouching. The fastest path is a single, well-structured Udemy course you own for life rather than a subscription you’ll forget to cancel. Our top pick is Adobe Lightroom CC Photo Editing: Your Lightroom Masterclass.
- Best overall: Lightroom CC Photo Editing Masterclass (Udemy) — the editing workflow real photographers use daily
- Best for Photoshop: Adobe Photoshop CC Essentials (Udemy), taught by an Adobe Certified Instructor
- Pricing reality: Udemy courses are one-time buys (often $12–$25 on sale); Coursera and MasterClass are subscriptions
- Skip a paid course if: you only need the basics — Adobe’s own free Lightroom Academy will get you started
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First, decide what “photo editing” means for you
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Photo editing splits into two jobs, and the right course depends on which one you’re doing. Lightroom handles the everyday work — importing, organizing, and developing RAW files: exposure, color, contrast, and batch edits across a whole shoot. Photoshop handles the heavy lifting on a single image — retouching skin, removing objects, compositing, and pixel-level work. Most working photographers spend the majority of their time in Lightroom and drop into Photoshop when a specific image needs it.
If you’re just starting out, learn Lightroom first — it covers most of what makes photos look professional, and the learning curve is gentler. Add Photoshop when you hit something Lightroom can’t do. If you’d rather get a broad tour of several editors at once, an all-in-one course is the more efficient option. We’ve picked a course for each of those routes below.
HOW WE PICKED
We favored courses with a clear, current curriculum, instructors with verifiable credentials (Adobe Certified Instructors and full-time photographers), and a teaching format that matches how people actually learn editing — hands-on, file-along projects rather than lecture-only theory. We weighted sustained popularity and student engagement over one-time ratings, and we only feature platforms we’ve used and recommend.
The best photo editing courses, ranked by who they’re for
1. Best overall — Adobe Lightroom CC Photo Editing: Your Lightroom Masterclass (Udemy)
This is the course we’d hand to most people who say “I want my photos to look professional.” It’s one of Udemy’s most popular Lightroom courses and walks through the complete Lightroom editing workflow — importing and organizing, RAW development, color and tone, local adjustments, and exporting — without assuming prior experience. Because it’s a Udemy purchase, you own it for life and can revisit any module as your skills grow. Best for: beginners and intermediate photographers who want one dependable Lightroom course. Worth noting: it focuses on Lightroom, not Photoshop — pair it with our Photoshop pick below if you need both.
RECOMMENDED PARTNER — UDEMY
Lifetime access, frequent sales, beginner-friendly
Udemy’s photo editing catalog is the deepest of any platform we cover, and courses are one-time purchases — no subscription to cancel. Sale pricing is common, so check the live price before you buy.
Browse the Lightroom Masterclass
Affiliate partnership — we may earn a commission when you enroll via this link. We only recommend courses we’d send a friend to.
2. Best all-in-one — Pro Photo Editing with Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom & Canva (Udemy)
If you’d rather not pick a single tool, this course tours four of them — Photoshop and Lightroom for photo work, plus Illustrator and Canva for graphics and quick social assets. It trades depth for breadth, which makes it a strong fit for content creators, small-business owners, and social media managers who edit photos as one task among many. Best for: generalists who want a working command of several editors rather than mastery of one. Skip if: you’re a photographer who only cares about getting great results from your RAW files — the focused Lightroom course above will serve you better.
3. Best for Photoshop — Adobe Photoshop CC Essentials Training (Udemy)
When you need real Photoshop skills — layers, masks, retouching, selections, and compositing — this is our pick. It’s taught by Daniel Walter Scott, an Adobe Certified Instructor, and is structured as a follow-along essentials course that takes you from a blank canvas to confident editing. It’s aimed at both photographers and designers, so the techniques transfer beyond photo retouching into graphic work. Best for: anyone who’s outgrown Lightroom and needs pixel-level control. Pair with: a Lightroom course above for a complete editing toolkit.
4. Best for deep Lightroom & RAW — Adobe Lightroom Masterclass: Complete Photo Editing (Udemy)
If you’ve used Lightroom a little and want to go further — serious RAW processing, advanced color grading, and a faster editing workflow — this is the more advanced Lightroom option. It covers the same ground as our top pick but pushes harder into the techniques that separate a good edit from a great one. Best for: photographers who already shoot RAW and want to level up their results. Skip if: you’re a complete beginner — start with the #1 pick and graduate to this later.
5. Best structured option with a certificate — Coursera Photography Basics specialization
If you want university-style structure, graded assignments, and a shareable certificate, Coursera’s photography specialization is the better format. It’s a subscription rather than a one-time purchase, and it leans more toward photography fundamentals than pure editing — so it suits learners who want the whole picture, from shooting to post-processing, with deadlines that keep them moving. Best for: structured learners who value a certificate and don’t mind a monthly fee. Note: for hands-on editing speed, the Udemy courses above are more direct.
6. Best for learning from world-class photographers — MasterClass
MasterClass isn’t a hands-on editing course — it’s where you learn how the best photographers in the world think about a photograph, from Annie Leibovitz on portraiture to Jimmy Chin on adventure work. Treat it as inspiration and high-level technique rather than a step-by-step Lightroom tutorial. If that’s what you’re after, we’ve reviewed the lineup in depth in our guide to the best MasterClass photography classes. Best for: photographers who already edit competently and want vision and perspective from the masters.
Photo editing courses compared
| Course | Platform | Best for | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightroom CC Photo Editing Masterclass | Udemy | Best overall Lightroom workflow | One-time purchase |
| Pro Photo Editing (Photoshop, Lightroom + more) | Udemy | All-in-one generalists | One-time purchase |
| Adobe Photoshop CC Essentials | Udemy | Learning Photoshop properly | One-time purchase |
| Lightroom Masterclass: Complete Photo Editing | Udemy | Advanced RAW + color | One-time purchase |
| Photography Basics specialization | Coursera | Structure + certificate | Subscription |
| Photography classes (Leibovitz, Chin) | MasterClass | Inspiration from the masters | Subscription |
What about free photo editing courses?
You don’t have to pay to start. Adobe runs a free Lightroom Academy with official tutorials, and there’s a deep well of free instruction on YouTube. Skillshare and Domestika also carry strong creative-editing catalogs on a subscription model if you prefer browsing many short classes. The trade-off with free and browse-everything options is structure: they’re excellent for answering a specific question, but a single paid course gives you an ordered path from first import to finished edit — which is why, if you’re serious about getting good quickly, we still point most people to one of the focused courses above.
How to choose the right course for you
Match the course to your goal, not to the longest feature list. If you shoot photos and want them to look professional, start with the Lightroom Masterclass and add the Photoshop Essentials course when you hit its limits. If you edit photos as one of many creative tasks, the all-in-one course is more efficient. If you want structure and a certificate, choose Coursera. And if you can already edit well and want to grow as a photographer, MasterClass is the inspiration layer on top.
Frequently asked questions
Should I learn Lightroom or Photoshop first?
Learn Lightroom first. It covers importing, organizing, and developing your photos — the bulk of everyday editing — with a gentler learning curve. Add Photoshop when you need retouching, compositing, or pixel-level control that Lightroom can’t do.
Are Udemy photo editing courses worth it?
For most people, yes. They’re one-time purchases you own for life, frequently discounted, and the bestselling courses are taught by working photographers and Adobe Certified Instructors. The main caveat is that quality varies by instructor, so check the course is recently updated before you buy.
Do I need a paid course, or are free ones enough?
Free resources like Adobe’s Lightroom Academy and YouTube are enough to learn the basics. A paid course is worth it when you want an ordered, start-to-finish path instead of stitching together scattered tutorials — it’s usually faster to competence.
Will these courses work with the free versions of Lightroom or Photoshop?
The techniques apply across versions, but Lightroom and Photoshop are subscription software from Adobe. Many learners use Adobe’s Photography plan, which bundles both. Lightroom’s free mobile tier can follow along with much of the editing instruction.
Which course is best for complete beginners?
Our #1 pick, the Lightroom CC Photo Editing Masterclass, assumes no prior experience and is the most beginner-friendly route to professional-looking photos. Save the advanced Lightroom and Photoshop courses for once you’re comfortable with the basics.
Related guides
- Best MasterClass Photography Classes — learn from Leibovitz, Chin, and more
- Best CreativeLive Courses — creative and photography workshops
- Udemy Review — is the platform legit and worth it?
- Best Online Learning Platforms — how the major course sites compare
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Part of our photography guide: see all the best online photography courses, ranked by goal.