Is Samsung Photography Academy Legit? An Honest Review (2026)

We’re going to lay it all out for you, including the negative.

But before we get started, here’s a quick disclosure: this is the Samsung Photography Academy team, so we have a vested interest in this course. However, what we’re going to show you is what students have actually said about the course in the form of comments they’ve made on the lessons. We’ve exported all of the comments (5,904 comments made by 2,403 students since June 2022 to be precise) made on the course lessons to date and summarised them here.

Quick verdict

How we put this review together

All of the comments were exported from the course platform on 15 October 2026. Unless otherwise noted, comments have been reproduced verbatim except that ellipses (…) indicate that some text has been removed, some obvious typos have been corrected, and names have been shortened to just first name and last initial.

All comments were classified according to which of four broad topics they fell under (praise, a question, a practice note, a complaint) and which lesson they referred to.

What you actually get

• Over 60 short (around 5 minutes long) video lessons, including bonus content, that show you everything we do on the phone (no guessing!)
• Organised in a step-by-step 4-module course (Structure → Subjects → Sunlight → Situational Scenes) and bonuses
• 8 languages available (English, Español, Português, Français, Deutsch, Arabic, Hindi, Indonesian)
• Compatible with all Samsung Galaxy S phones (S22 and up), Z Fold & Flip and most of the current Galaxy A series phones
• Lifetime access (no subscriptions!), so you can revisit the course any time, including after you upgrade your phone
• 60-day money-back guarantee: all you have to do to get a refund is send us an email at support@samsungphotographyacademy.com

The 4-point mobile photography framework

• Composition techniques that will give structure and backbone to all of your images, such as rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, framing and more (Module 1 - Structure)
• How to pick your subject and make the most of it with framing and angles to elevate your images from lucky accidents to deliberate shots (Module 2 - Subjects)
• How to analyse and make use of natural light, including golden hour, silhouettes, reflections and shooting into the sun (Module 3 - Sunlight)
• Specialised techniques for landscapes, street and travel photography, portraits, food and night photography, covering subjects you’re likely to be photographing (Module 4 - Situational Scenes)

What a lesson looks like

For most of the lessons we just use the Galaxy camera app and draw on top of it. That way you can see exactly what we’re doing (where we’re tapping on the screen etc.) and how we’ve composed the image.

Composition lessons are where students comment the most. Below is a table of the five lessons with the greatest number of comments.

What students say in the lessons

“I never knew that was there”

The most common reaction is students discovering features that their phone already includes. The camera grid comes up over and over again.

• “The grid lines are such a great idea and didn't know what a difference it makes” Helen R., Rule of Thirds and Camera Grid lesson, March 2024
• “I didn't know my phone's camera had ALL of these settings. This so far has been tremendously helpful.” Dawn C., Samsung Camera App Rundown lesson, October 2024
• “Great explanation of the pro mode. I didn't know about the refresh button to get rid of the custom settings. I was always afraid to use the pro mode before because I would not know how to reset it.” Simon D., Must Know Pro Mode Settings lesson, June 2023
• “I didn't know I had a night mode until this. I was out on the lake and got some amazing shots with a full moon! … I have friends that want large prints for their homes!” Starr, Incredible Night Mode lesson, November 2023

“It changed how I frame photos”

• “I didn't really see the difference with negative space vs. rule of threes until the subject faced the water. Then I understood the benefit of negative space. This is helping me rethink some of the photos I've taken in the past.” Jim T., Negative Space lesson, November 2022
• “I've used the rule of 3rds for only a single element in my photos. It never occurred to me that I could, or should, use the rule for multiple elements (person and horizon) within my photos.” Brian P., Rule of Thirds and Camera Grid lesson, July 2025
• “Really enjoyed this video - learnt so much! Never would have thought of turning the phone to get the lens nearer to the puddle.” Joy M., Reflection Photography lesson, February 2024
• “I feel like going through all my pictures and check how I applied the rule of thirds and the direction. Excellent.” Pedro, Rule of Direction lesson, December 2023

Results students reported

• “This is the 13th video I watched and I posted one picture on Instagram yesterday and I had an amateur photographer commenting that the picture was great.” Zamri I., Diagonal Balance & Harmony lesson, May 2024
• “Since the “best” camera is always the one you have with you when a scene develops, I am liking this s24 Ultra even better than my DSLR!” Hal, Must Know Pro Mode Settings lesson, September 2024
• “I'm loving this course so far. Simple techniques make a big difference” LeTi S., Central Placement lesson, March 2024

Reviews students posted on Facebook

Students comment on our Facebook posts too, and they also write reviews about us! Here are screenshots of a few examples:

Who is taking it

The majority of posters have a Galaxy that they’ve likely only used in auto mode since getting the phone.

A minority of posters are already comfortable with photography, and just want to get the most out of their everyday camera.

• “I've been using Galaxy S20 Ultra for 5 years & taken some great photos, but now have upgraded to S25 Ultra & decided it was time I learned what all those settings on the camera are for!” Lyn, Quick Introduction lesson, April 2025
• “Never even heard of Rule of Thirds or used grid lines. I'm a “TakeTheCameraOutMyPocket&CenterTheSubject&ShootGuy”.” Mark, Rule of Thirds and Camera Grid lesson, September 2025
• “Coming from a pro photography background I am both nervous and excited to see what I can do when I am not carrying my camera kit.” Elisabeth, Quick Introduction lesson, April 2025

What students didn't like

Around 8% of comments (465) were negative or mixed. Here are some of the more common gripes (names left off):

• A handful of lessons won’t be a great fit (especially if you need captions on all of the lesson videos or have an older/budget Galaxy phone, which is what the 60-day refund guarantee is for!)
• There are virtually no comments about the course being a scam, not receiving the course, not receiving a refund, etc.

What does it actually cost?

At $39 USD one-time (or 2 payments of $25) on the current deal page, the course is cheap. The normal price is $195 USD. A Lightroom subscription (which costs about $120/year) and a one-off in-person workshop (typically $300-500) both cost more, and you don’t get lifetime access with those.

The 4 free bonuses (included today)

Purchasing through the current deal page also includes four bonus modules in addition to the modules that are a part of the course.

• Bonus 1: New Samsung Camera Features Module ($97 value) covers Nightography, Expert RAW, 100x Space Zoom, 200MP, Single Take, Auto Framing, Portrait at Night and Galaxy AI editing.
• Bonus 2: Printable Composition Cheatsheet ($49 value) is 15 must-know composition rules and guidelines. This cheatsheet is provided as a high-resolution PDF so you can download it and refer to it anytime, anywhere. You can keep it on your phone and refer to it while shooting!
• Bonus 3: Pro Mode Secrets / Expert RAW Module ($97 value). Ever wondered how some Samsung Galaxy phone photographers manage to capture stunning light trails, silky waterfalls, low-light RAW shots and more? The answer is Pro mode! In this module we’ll show you exactly how to use the ISO, shutter speed, white balance and more so you can get creative with your Samsung Galaxy phone.
• Bonus 4: 20 Mobile Photography Tips eBook ($20 value) condenses our tips for mobile photographers into one handy (and quick-to-read!) eBook so you can continually level up your mobile photography.

Who teaches it

All of the lessons are taught by working photographers (both travel and editorial), not affiliate marketers or ‘influencers’ promoting phone brands or image editing apps, and the bulk of the course is made up of screen recordings from the camera app on Samsung Galaxy phones, so you can see exactly what setting has been adjusted and how it affects the image.

The 60-day money-back guarantee

Try it out and if it’s not for you we’ll refund every penny.

No forms. No hoops to jump through. Just shoot an email to support@samsungphotographyacademy.com within 60 days and we’ll refund you.

We’re confident that if it didn’t give students value it wouldn’t survive a 60-day refund window!

What it's not

• It’s not a DSLR or mirrorless camera course, as all lessons are shot on a Samsung Galaxy
• It’s not shot on iPhone, as all screengrabs and demonstrations are done on Samsung
• It’s not just about Lightroom, because we teach you editing but focus mostly on in-camera technique
• It’s not going to make you a pro photographer in 7 days, since this is a skills-based course and you progress at your own pace
• It’s not affiliated with Samsung Electronics, because we are independent and this is a course specifically for Samsung Galaxy phone owners

Who should not buy it

• Not ideal if you shoot on an iPhone or Pixel because the interface is different
• Not ideal if you’re already confident taking photos since some of the more experienced students commented that the composition lessons felt basic
• Not ideal if you need subtitles on every video, since most lessons have them but students have flagged some that don’t
• Not ideal if you’re after 1-on-1 mentoring since this is a self-paced video course and there’s no element of coaching

Who it's perfect for

• You’ve got a Galaxy S22 or newer and you’re not squeezing everything you can out of that pricey camera.
• You’re looking for a logical progression of skills rather than random YouTube videos.
• You want your phone pictures to look like they came from something bigger, especially if your phone is your only camera when you travel.
• You've just upgraded to a new Ultra and want to actually learn its night mode and Pro settings, plus the camera app interface.

Frequently asked questions