Skip to content
Write a review
#2 in PhotographyUdemyBestseller on UdemyPhotographyPaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

iPhone Photography | Take Professional Photos On Your iPhone (Udemy.com)

Your Online Guide to Taking Stunning iPhone Photography Like a Professional Digital Photographer

4.5
34,530 reviews

Created by: Dale McManus

Last updated February 2023

Our take

Based on the ratings of 34,530 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in February 2023. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short one: 27 lectures, about 83 minutes, and a single quiz. Dale McManus, a working photographer and YouTuber, covers composition, depth, using surrounding light, quick looks at long exposure and macro, then spends the biggest block, around 30 minutes, editing in the free Lightroom mobile app. It suits phone owners who have never thought about framing or exposure and want a handful of rules before a trip. Roughly 121,000 students have enrolled and 34,500 reviews average 4.5 stars.

Reviewers like that he gets to the point with no filler, and a couple single out the editing sections as the most useful part. Students call the teaching engaging and clear, and one likes the quiz. The complaints are consistent. The course was last updated in February 2023, and owners of an iPhone 14 or 17 say some settings shown, HDR for one, no longer exist where he points. One two-star review calls it a basic walkthrough that ten minutes of googling would cover, another says iPhone camera features get less time than Lightroom, and three reviewers ask for more shooting examples or before-and-after photos. One student never got an answer to a question about Lightroom.

Some of the courses on our photography list, the Nikon DSLR one for instance, are built around a proper camera. This one only cares about the phone already in a pocket, and it runs under an hour and a half. The right trade for someone who wants a few habits to apply this weekend, and the wrong one for anyone hoping for a deep tour of the native camera app's modes. Recommended for total beginners who will go out and shoot afterward, with the caveat that the settings screens will look different on a current iPhone.

Best forComplete beginners who want a few composition and editing rules to try on their phone this weekend.
Skip it ifYou want a deep tour of the native iPhone camera modes, or already know the rule of thirds and basic Lightroom.

Pros

  • Gets to the point: 27 short lectures with no filler, according to reviewers
  • The 30-minute Lightroom mobile editing section is the part some students found most useful
  • Teaches on a free app and a phone, so there is nothing to buy beyond the course
  • A quiz section that one reviewer says showed him what he had learned

Cons

  • Last updated February 2023; iPhone 14 and 17 owners report settings like HDR are no longer where he shows them
  • Very basic; one two-star review says the tips could be googled in ten minutes, and others want more shooting examples
  • Over a third of the runtime is Lightroom editing, and one reviewer got no reply to a Lightroom question
Practical tips. Gets to the point, no excessive useless chatter.
Violet F, a student

Beginner is accurate: the only requirement is a phone with a camera, and anyone past the basics will find it thin.

Featured in our guide: The Best Photography Courses on Udemy in 2026

icon
What you will learn

  • How to replicate professional digital photography with your iPhone.
  • How to take stunning photos by utilizing shot composition.
  • How to optimize iPhone settings for taking the best photos.
  • How to professionally edit photos with Lightroom (free) on your iPhone.
  • How to utilize surrounding light to propely light your subjects.
  • How/Why the best photographers tell stories in their photos.
  • How to take more impactful photos of people, landscapes, architecture, and more.

Course content

11 sections · 27 lectures · 1.4 hours of video 1 quiz

  1. 1iPhone Photography Introduction 2 free previews2 lectures · 3 min
  2. 2Pre-Shooting Setup 2 free previews5 lectures · 1 quiz · 6 min
  3. 3The 4 Types of Shot Composition for Better Photography 1 free preview6 lectures · 13 min
  4. 4How to Create Depth in Photography1 lecture · 1 min
  5. 5How to Utilize Surrounding Elements While Shooting2 lectures · 3 min
  6. 6Long Exposure Photography: How to Shoot It on the iPhone 1 free preview1 lecture · 2 min
  7. 7Macro Photography: How to Shoot It on the iPhone1 lecture · 2 min
  8. 8How to Tell Stories in Photography1 lecture · 2 min
  9. 9How to Edit & Color Correct Photos in Lightroom4 lectures · 30 min
  10. 10My Shooting and Editing Process2 lectures · 18 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to take better photos with their iPhone (or similiar) without buying & carrying around unnecessary equipment.
  • This course is for anyone who wants to document their travels with stunning photos.
  • This course is for anyone who wants to edit photos professionally on their iPhone with Lightroom (Free).
  • This course is for anyone who wants to develop photography skills to start a business.
  • This course is for anyone who wants to become a skilled photographer.

What you need before you start

  • All you need is access to an iPhone or other smartphone with a camera. Thats it!

How it compares

Against the other 275 rated Udemy courses in Photography on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 44% of them
  • Reviews34,530#2 of 276 by number of reviews
  • Length1.4 hoursshorter than 78% of them
  • Last updatedFebruary 2023more recently than 56% of them

icon
Course Description

This online photography course will teach you everything you need to know to become a professional digital photographer with nothing more than an iPhone or similar smartphone. It is designed to keep you engaged and hone your skills for taking your pictures to the next level. 

My #1 rule in photography is 10% gear / 90% knowledge. So if you know HOW to be a great photographer and know what to look for, you will be able to take amazing pictures with almost anything.


This course is designed for:

-Beginners that have little to no experience and want to become a skilled photographer without spending thousands of dollars on expensive camera equipment.

-Anyone that wants to develop a more impressive portfolio or social media account (i.e. Instagram).

-Anyone that wants to make professional digital photography into an exciting career. 

You'll learn all the basics of professional iPhone photography in this course as well as plenty of tips and tricks that you can use during every day shooting to make your photos stand out from the rest. This course gets straight to the point with the most useful and practical information so that you can get out shooting as quickly as possible.


Here's some of what you will learn:   

-How to take stunning photos by utilizing shot composition.   

-How to optimize your iPhone camera settings for taking the best photos.   

-How to create depth in your photography   

-How/Why the best photographers tell stories in their photos.   

-How to utilize surrounding light to properly light your subjects   

-How to professionally edit photos in Lightroom (free) on your iPhone.   

-Tips, tricks, and much more!   


About the instructor:

I've been in the field of photography and videography for 9+ years and have my Bachelors of Science degree in Film from Full Sail University. I'm an award winning Youtuber and make a living with photography/videography using my iPhone and looking forward to sharing my knowledge to help you capture the most stunning photos possible.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 1.4h

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Get the Udemy discount

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

Dale McManus

I'm a Professional Photographer/Videographer, Award Winning Youtuber, and Web Developer. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Film and 12 years experience in the field of photography/film. I've traveled to different parts of the world as a professional photographer/videographer and utilized my iPhone as my best tool. Now I share my knowledge with students all over the world.

Read More

icon
More courses by Dale McManus

$13.99

$12.99

Free

Free

All courses by Dale McManus

icon
More Photography courses

$39.99

$24.99

$24.99

$19.99

$19.99

$12.99

All Photography courses

icon
Reviews

4.5

34,530 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

Write a review

By Julia Wainwright on 9/1/2026

I had some issues with some of the video playing out (not sure if it's my internet speed or not). And my iPhone 14 doesn't have the same features as discussed in the video (e.g., HDR).

By Matthew on 8/20/2026

He teaches and shows what to do and why. I like the quiz section to show what I learned. Teacher is engaging keeping me interested.

By Violet F on 8/18/2026

Practical tips. Gets to the point, no excessive useless chatter. Would be great to see side by side photos of before and after. He did not respond to a question I had regarding the Lightroom app.

By Gershwyn Michael Gopaul on 8/10/2026

You can hear the passion and see the professionalism in the way this information is presented. Helped me gain insight to add that little something extra to my view on photography but also challenged me to respect the craft that much more. Bravo and well done

By Christoph Wallner on 7/31/2026

The course greatly improved my understanding of smartphone handling and post-processing photo editing. Thank you for that. I can highly recommend it.

By barbara pugliatti on 7/27/2026

Very nice introduction with basic tips that can be easily applied, however I feel the tools and programs showed are in outdated version, would had be nice to have some update on where to find things and setitngs

By Donald H Andrews on 5/30/2026

my phone i 16 pro seems different in the settings. still cannot find hdr settings anywhere. i also admit i am struggling with low vision (none in one eye now) and have given up dslr in hopes i can gain something here. however, this makes learning, reading etc a bit difficult. will have to see as i go along. so far so good. have certainly learned a few things. reading instructions almost impossible so video is helping

By Maressa Fornazieri de Medeiros on 4/6/2026

Super útil, amei descobrir mais sobre as funcionalidade do iphone e também gostei do pequeno tutorial do lightroom

By PAOLA MASCIARELLI on 3/24/2026

si mi piace fotografare e ho imparato cose nuove. grazie

By Siyana Todorova on 3/23/2026

The course is very nicely written and explained. The information is easy to understand and memorise. I had fun listening and experimenting. In my opinion it is worth the time and money.

Showing all 10 reviews on CourseDuck

Read all 34,530 reviews on Udemy

icon
Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 90 / 100

iPhone Photography | Take Professional Photos On Your iPhone
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 1.4h
  • Price: $129.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon February 2023
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:27 in 11 sections
  • Practice:1 quiz
  • Students:121,100
  • Subtitles:24 languages
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
30-day money-back guarantee on most paid courses

Udemy Coupon Price Tracker

Udemy price history

For any issues or feature requests please email CourseDuck's Co-Founder at mkuhlman12@gmail.com