Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course
Finally Feel Confident Editing Your Photos in Lightroom Classic
You don’t need another random YouTube tutorial. You need one clear path — from import to finished image — taught by a pro who’s guided 17,000+ photography students from overwhelmed to in control. This is that course.
Sound Familiar?
You bought Lightroom because you wanted to make your photos look their best. But instead of editing, you’re spending your time searching — jumping between YouTube videos that each teach something different, skipping steps you didn’t know you needed, and guessing at tools you’ve never had properly explained.
The frustrating part isn’t Lightroom itself. It’s the feeling that everyone else seems to get it and you’re the only one still struggling.
You’re not.
Most people learning Lightroom on their own hit the same wall. Too many scattered resources, no clear order, and no one to ask when something doesn’t make sense.
Here’s what we believe: editing your photos should be enjoyable, not stressful. You picked up a camera because you love photography. The editing process should feel like a natural extension of that, not a chore you dread.
The truth is, without a clear system, nothing changes. You’ll keep watching random videos, keep second-guessing your edits, and keep closing Lightroom feeling more frustrated than when you opened it. Your photos deserve better than that. So do you.
Your Instructor
I started learning photo editing in a literal darkroom, retouching negatives by hand. When digital came along, I taught myself Photoshop in 1995 and picked up Lightroom the day it launched. So I know what it feels like to sit in front of unfamiliar software and think, “Where do I even start?”
That’s exactly why I teach the way I do.
After 37 years as a professional photographer, over 250 weddings, a studio, photography tours on four continents, and the Master of Photographic Arts designation from the Professional Photographers of Canada, I’ve learned that credentials don’t matter if your students feel lost. What matters is patience, clear explanations, and a structure that actually makes sense.
Over 17,000 students have taken my courses. I built this one for people who want to stop guessing and start editing with real confidence. If that sounds like you, I’d love to be your guide.
I consider myself to be an “advanced intermediate” user of Lightroom and I hesitated to sign up for the course because I was not sure I would learn anything new. I was wrong to think that. I have received new insights in nearly every lesson, sometimes finding out about a shortcut I was not aware of, other times discovering new uses for an existing control that I thought I knew well.
James Henkel, Connecticut USA
Your Path Through the Course
Master photography and editing through our proven three-step methodology, designed to take you from fundamentals to professional-grade results.
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1
Watch the lesson
Each video walks you through one tool or technique at a time. No jumping around, no gaps. Just clear, structured teaching in an order that makes sense.
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2
Practice on real photos
Darlene’s own RAW files are included so you can follow along and match her edits. This is where the learning actually happens.
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3
Edit your own images with confidence
Apply what you’ve learned to your photos. And if you get stuck, you’ve got the student community and your instructor to help.
What You’ll Learn in This Lightroom Course
The course is organized into six modules that take you from setup to confident, independent editing. Each one builds on the last, and the course is always updated as Lightroom adds new features. Once you own it, every update is free.
Module 1: Getting Started and Finding Your Way Around
Learn how to install and update Lightroom, customize the interface, and understand the catalog. What it is, where it’s saved, and how to back it up properly. This module removes the confusion before you ever touch a photo.
Module 2: Organize Your Photo Library
Learn how to import images into Lightroom, then use the library features for sorting, flagging, and finding images quickly. You’ll set up Collections and Smart Collections, add metadata and copyright information, and learn how to stack images and create virtual copies. No more digging through folders wondering where that photo went.
Module 3: The Develop Module, Where the Real Editing Happens
This is the heart of the course. You’ll learn how to use all the tools in the Develop Module, one at a time. Basic adjustments like exposure, color, and contrast. How to crop, clone, and erase. How to fix common image issues and problems. You’ll also learn how the history panel and snapshots work so you can experiment without fear. Follow along using the RAW files provided.
Module 4: Take It Further with Masking and Advanced Techniques
Learn how and why to use the masking tools to make local adjustments to specific areas of your image. You’ll discover which tools to use for the effect you want to achieve, how to batch process, sync edits, and copy and paste image adjustments across multiple photos. Plus how to apply develop presets and create your own.
Module 5: Practical Application, Putting It All Together
This is where everything comes together. Learn how to approach the editing process, how to know when you’ve gone too far, and how to add style and a finishing touch to your images. Watch complete start-to-finish edits on real photos, one landscape and one portrait, then practice on the included RAW files to match the results yourself.
Module 6: Export, Print, and Share Your Work
Learn how to save or export your images ready for print or online usage. You’ll also see how to use Photoshop and other third-party plugins within your Lightroom workflow, and explore all the other modules including Slideshow, Print, Map, Web Gallery, and Book. Custom print templates are included as a bonus.
Bonus: Hours of Live Q&A Recordings: Watch as Darlene answers real student questions and demonstrates solutions in real time. These sessions are packed with extra tips and techniques you won’t find in the main lessons.
Want the full lesson-by-lesson breakdown? Download the complete course outline here.
You’re Not Learning Alone
Your course enrollment includes access to a private student community. Not a Facebook group. A safe, quiet space away from social media where you can ask questions, get help from Darlene and fellow students, and share your progress without worrying about judgment.
This is one of the things students tell us they value most. Having real people to learn alongside makes the difference between watching tutorials and actually improving.
Want even more? Our Gold community membership adds weekly live Zoom calls with Darlene, recorded webinars, monthly photography challenges with prizes, and a deeper level of connection with fellow photographers. It’s completely optional, and available anytime after you enroll.
This the best community I have ever been associated with…..great ideas, helpful information, willing to give a helping hand and lord knows I need it.
Neil Schmottlach, Indiana, USA
No Ads! No Algorithms! Just Photography! The Digital Photo Community is focused on photography and there is no need to wade through tons of unwanted or unsolicited content to get to the content you are interested in!
David Allatt, Ontario, Canada
What’s Included With Your Lightroom Course Purchase
The Complete Lightroom Course (20+ hours)
Every lesson, every module, every update. Lifetime access means you can revisit any lesson whenever you need a refresher, and new content is added as Lightroom evolves at no extra charge.
Bonus: Darlene’s RAW Files (Value: $49)
Over 30 of Darlene’s own RAW files so you can follow along with every lesson and practice on real photos. Students consistently tell us this is one of the most valuable parts of the course.
Bonus: Live Q&A Recordings (Value $49)
Hours of recorded sessions where Darlene answers real student questions and demonstrates solutions in real time. Extra tips and techniques you won’t find in the main lessons.
Bonus: Private Student Community Access
(Value: $47)
A safe, private space where you can ask questions, share your progress, and get help from Darlene and fellow students. Included with your enrollment.
Bonus: Custom Overlays (Value: $29)
Two bokeh overlays, two texture overlays, and two sky replacement images from our Ultimate Editing Bundle for use in the lessons on working with Photoshop and plugins.
Bonus: Lightroom Presets (Value: $19)
A collection of Darlene’s own Develop module presets, brush presets, and other time-savers to use as you follow the lessons and in your own editing.
Bonus: Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
(Value: $9)
A printable PDF of Lightroom Classic keyboard shortcuts. Keep it by your desk and speed up your editing from day one.
Bonus: Print Templates
(Value: $19)
A selection of custom print templates for making printable layouts of your photos. Use them inside Lightroom’s Print Module with full instructions provided in the course.
Total bonus value: $199+. Yours free with the course.
Join Our Lightroom Course Alumni
I have taken a number of online as well as in-person courses, and this Digital Photo Mentor Lightroom course is unquestionably the BEST. Darlene Hildebrandt instructs Lightroom Classic in a logical, clear, and concise manner making every minute of one’s time count.
Edward Barbieri, California, USA
Working through the lessons I was gob-smacked, again and again, as Darlene demonstrated a feature or capability that I had no clue Lightroom offered or explained how the program worked, many times solving challenges I struggled with.
As an instructor, Darlene demonstrated that she cares about her students and goes above and beyond patiently answering questions and helping her students.
David Allatt, Ontario, Canada
Enroll in the course now!
Purchase the course now, and get immediate access to the lessons with full access to recordings of Q & A sessions.
Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course
$98
That’s less than $3.50 per lesson for 20+ hours of professional training. Pay once, keep it forever.
- 52 Lessons across 6 structured modules
- 20+ hours of video training
- 30+ RAW practice files
- Complete editing workflows
- Keyboard Shortcuts cheat sheet
- Custom overlays, presets and print templates
- Private student support community
- Hours of live Q&A recordings
- Lifetime access
- $199+ in bonus value included
- Always up-to-date (Always!)
100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Try the course for 30 days. If you do the work, put in your best effort, and feel that we haven’t delivered, we’ll issue a full refund. Or if you’d prefer, we’ll transfer you to a course that’s a better fit. No hard feelings.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We wholeheartedly believe in this Lightroom course, and have many satisfied students. But we want you to feel confident in trying it out for yourself!
That’s why we have a 100% risk-free guarantee. Try out Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course for 30 days, and if you aren’t satisfied, just ask us for a full refund.
If you do the work, put in your best effort, and feel that we haven’t delivered or it’s just not right for you, we will issue a 100% refund (or transfer you to a course that is right for you!).
Join Our Lightroom Course Alumni
What are students saying about this Lightroom Course?
I have been using Lightroom for 10 years and recently upgraded to LRC. I knew there were upgrades and thought I needed to also upgrade my knowledge. I was totally right and Darlene has provided so many tips and views that I realize that I never really knew Lightroom at all. Learning how the tools all work together is absolutely mind boggling. This is the most in depth training you could benefit from. Thank you Darlene!!
Ruth Steer
Darlene’s course is my third one on Lightroom Classic, and is the first course which is (finally) useful to me. It is systematic and comprehensive. Darlene’s explanations and demonstrations are generous and crystal clear. When I follow her in LRC with the demo images, it’s easy to understand the logic of such a complex program, which can easily overwhelm. As a kind of bonus, you get from Darlene not only technical guidance, but also her aesthetic perspective, which is so important for deciding which function to use, and when and how, in order to get the desired aesthetic results. I highly recommend this course.
Naomi Josefsberg
This Lightroom Classic course has been a game changer. I have had a camera in my hands since 1973 when I purchased my first film SLR. I am retired now from my career in Geology, and am wanting to get more involved in photography. The first time I opened Lightroom, I poked around and it was just so confusing that I just gave up. Then I stumbled on an ad for a new DPM course in Lightroom Classic. Now I know why I couldn’t just figure it out on my own. Darlene has put so much into this Lightroom course. She walks the student through each and every piece of what the software can do. The lessons are all basically bite sized so that the student is not overwhelmed during a lesson. I am completely satisfied with my experience in this Lightroom course, and am very happy that I joined and learned some new tools.
Larry Coen
This course is fantastic. Although I have been using LR for years, there were so many things I wasn’t aware of and didn’t utilize. This course helped me streamline my workflow and change the way I edit. Darlene’s courses are all amazing. She touches on items that many people leave and shows multiple ways to use each function. So much detail in each lesson and I love the way she keeps the lessons up to date as new features arrive.
Alice Fraser
Let me put it simply, Darlene’s class was superior to any of the very large number of classes in which I have been a student. Five stars and well deserved.
Dr. Steven Gottlieb, Texas, USA
Darlene is a very effective communicator and in this course she has succeeded in distilling and passing on her vast knowledge of Lightroom in such a way that even the rank beginner can grasp what they need to know to make use of this amazing tool. The video presentation coupled with the provided sample images allows the user to proceed at their own pace and Darlene is always available to answer questions. This course is a must have for anyone who wants to master Lightroom.
Alan Meikle
Frequently Asked Questions
Who teaches this Lightroom Course?
Darlene Hildebrandt, a professional photographer with over 37 years of experience and the Master of Photographic Arts (MPA) designation. She’s been teaching photography for over 15 years and has guided 17,000+ students through her courses. She’s patient, thorough, and genuinely invested in helping you succeed.
What if I’m not very tech-savvy?
You’ll be just fine. This course is built for people who want clear, step-by-step guidance without jargon. Many of our students started with little to no editing experience and found the pace and structure easy to follow. You can pause, rewind, and revisit any lesson as many times as you need.
How is this different from free YouTube tutorials?
YouTube tutorials are helpful, but they’re scattered. One creator explains it one way, another explains it differently, and you’re left trying to piece together a workflow from a dozen disconnected videos. This course gives you one instructor, one structured path, and a logical order that builds your skills from the ground up. No gaps, no conflicting advice.
How long do I have access to the course?
Lifetime access. Once you enroll, you can watch and revisit the lessons as often as you want, at your own pace. Start when it’s convenient for you. There’s no deadline and no rush.
Will the course be updated as Lightroom changes?
YES! As Adobe updates Lightroom gets updates, the course gets updated too. New features get new lessons or lesson updates, and you get all of them at no extra charge.
Can I watch the lessons on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The video lessons work on any device, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The lesson notes are also readable on any device. The RAW practice files and bonus assets will need to be downloaded to your computer since they’re large zip files.
Can I download the videos?
The videos are streaming only and not available for download. But with lifetime access, they’re always there when you need them.
Are there any extra costs beyond the course?
No. If you already have Lightroom Classic from Adobe, there are no other costs. A few optional items are mentioned in the course (like a monitor calibration device or graphics tablet), but they’re suggestions, not requirements.
What if I have a question about something in a lesson?
Each lesson page has a spot to submit questions. Darlene will answer you by email or record a response if it warrants a demonstration. You can also post questions in the private student community, where Darlene and fellow students can help. And Darlene runs weekly live editing sessions on YouTube where you can ask questions in real time.
Will I have access to other students for support?
Yes. Your enrollment includes access to a private student community where you can ask questions, share your progress, and connect with other Lightroom students. It’s not on social media. It’s a safe, private space built for learning.
What is your refund policy?
If you’re not happy with the course, let us know within 30 days of purchase and you’ll get a full refund. If you’d prefer, we can transfer you to a different course that’s a better fit. No hassle.
Do you have a course outline and lesson plan?
Yes. You can download the Lightroom for Photographers outline and lesson plan here.
What Changes After You Take This Course
You stop guessing which slider does what. You stop dreading the editing process. You open Lightroom with a plan, work through your photos with confidence, and finish with images that look the way you wanted them to. Your friends notice. Your family notices. And most importantly, you notice.
You’ve Read This Far. That Tells Me Something.
You’re serious about getting better at editing your photos. You just want to know you’re making the right choice. You are.
30-day money-back guarantee. Lifetime access. Start your first lesson in minutes.
