Choose how deep you want to go

The Curated Lab is a members' platform for high-end fashion and beauty photography and retouching, run by Per Appelgren and Jan Wischermann. It shows you how real campaigns and editorials are made – the lighting, the color and the retouching – with a community of photographers and retouchers who push their own work further.

Every setup in the Lab comes from a real commission or editorial, not from a studio exercise built for a tutorial. You get the lighting diagram, the full equipment list, the crew credits, the behind the scenes footage from the actual shoot and the Capture One style that produced the final look. And you can ask the two people who shot it.

Yes, for two different reasons. If you are starting out, every setup is broken down step by step with 3D diagrams and a full equipment list, the retouching modules begin with the fundamentals, and from the Pro plan up there is a glossary that translates the gear and the terminology. If you already shoot for clients, the value lies somewhere else: seeing how other professionals solve the same problems, getting your work looked at in the live formats, and the business side that nobody teaches.

No. The principles of light work with simpler tools too. Every setup comes with its full equipment list, so you can see what was used and adapt it to what you have.

As much or as little as you have. Nothing is scheduled and nothing expires, so you can rebuild a lighting setup in one evening or take a retouching module across a month. The only fixed dates are the live sessions every four weeks, and every one of them is recorded, so missing one costs you nothing.

Yes. Every setup comes from an actual commission or editorial, recreated in 3D and explained on video, so you can see exactly how the light was shaped for the published image.

New setups, styles, retouching modules and color grading sessions are added throughout the year. The longer you stay, the bigger your library gets.

Pro is the whole library and the community, at your own pace. Elite adds us: two live sessions every month, feedback on your own pictures and every replay. If you want your work to be seen, Elite is your plan.

Everything your plan includes, the moment you join. Nothing is drip-fed, nothing unlocks on a schedule and nothing expires.

Signature opens with ten lighting setups and their matching Capture One styles, a sneak peek into the retouching courses, and the community spaces where members introduce themselves and share their work.

Pro opens the whole library on day one: sixty+ setups with the equipment list and behind the scenes footage from the actual shoot, sixty+ Capture One styles, the retouching modules and the color grading sessions.

Elite adds the complete replay library, so there is a back catalogue of past Live Q&As and Portfolio Circles to work through before your first live session comes around.

Every plan starts with Start Here, a short course that shows you where everything is and what to do in your first weeks.

Because a year in the Lab changes more than a month can. On Pro and Elite the yearly plan costs half as much per month, and yearly members get priority on challenges.

First Assistant is your AI helper inside the Lab, included from Pro up. It knows the whole library, from lighting to retouching, and points you to the right lesson, down to the minute in the video. On Elite it also draws on our live sessions and the conversations with guest experts. It helps you find things fast – it doesn't replace us, the community or the feedback in the live formats.

The best of what members share, sorted by topic, in one place. It comes with Pro and Elite.

Yes – The Curated Lab runs in the Circle app for iPhone and Android. Download it, sign in with the email address of your membership, and you're inside the Lab: follow the community, watch the courses and join the conversation on the go. Lighting setups and Capture One styles open in the browser.

Your membership moved with you. Look for our email “Your invitation to the new Curated Lab”, click “Step into the new Lab”, choose a password, and you’re in. Can’t find your invitation? Write to us at hello@the-curated-lab.com – we’ll get you in.

Your login – your email address and the password you chose when you accepted your invitation.

On your phone – the Circle app for iPhone and Android. Enter your email address and the app sends you a one-time code. Accept your invitation in the browser first.

Forgot your password? – click “Forgot your password?” on the login page.

A different email address? – accept the invitation first, then change it: profile picture → Authentication.

Already use Circle for another community? – your existing login works here too. A new password applies to all of them.

Still stuck? – write to us at hello@the-curated-lab.com.

The community is part of the Lab. Introduce yourself, share your wins and talk shop with photographers and retouchers from around the world. Signature includes the core community spaces; Pro and Elite open every discussion space, from Photography and Retouching to Business and Career. In every plan there is a member map to find people near you, an Accountability Buddy if you want one, and levels and rewards for taking part.

In the discussion spaces, feedback comes mostly from other members – creatives helping creatives. On Elite, your work gets seen: in the Portfolio Circle, where we review members' images live, and in the Feedback Spaces for photography and retouching. For one-to-one input, Pro and Elite members can book a 1:1 Session or Personal Mentoring.

Every month, Elite members meet Per, Jan and industry guests for a live Q&A of 60 to 90 minutes. Attend live and ask your questions, or send them in beforehand. Every session is recorded and added to the Replay Library.

Please note: the Q&As are group sessions designed for shared learning. Personal Mentoring and 1:1 Sessions are available separately for more individual guidance.

The Portfolio Circle is our monthly live review of members' work, for Elite members. Selected images or series are reviewed and discussed live by Per Appelgren, Jan Wischermann or invited guests. The format is fast-paced and designed to give clear, practical next steps within a group. All Elite members can attend live and submit work for review.

The Portfolio Circle is a curated group format and does not replace Personal Mentoring or 1:1 Sessions.

Yes – you can submit single images or a short series, depending on what you'd like feedback on.

No – review slots are limited per session, but all attendees benefit from the shared discussion and feedback.

Live sessions for Elite members with guest experts from our network. Like all our live sessions, they are recorded for the Replay Library.

Member Spotlight: every month we feature one of the most active members in our newsletter and on Instagram, in every plan.

Guided Projects are Elite: structured creative briefs across a series of live sessions, from lighting and color to retouching and visual direction.

Both are optional. The goal is not competition, but consistent progress – turning what you learn into finished work.

The 1:1 Session is a focused, single deep dive – perfect when you need clarity fast. Whether it's a dedicated portfolio review, a creative block or a direction check, we'll pinpoint what's holding you back and align your next steps.

The Personal Mentoring Program is a long-term partnership designed for consistent growth. It includes 8 online live sessions: 2 × 45-minute strategy calls to set direction and build your foundation, followed by 6 × 30-minute check-ins over the course of a year, plus a private channel for ongoing feedback, strategy and support between sessions.

Yes – both mentoring formats are available to Pro and Elite members, so your sessions build on the same foundation, content and tools you use in the Lab. Elite members book with priority and at the Elite rate.

Every session is fully customized to your current goals and challenges. We can work on anything from refining your visual style, pricing and positioning, website and portfolio critique, to client communication, mindset and long-term career direction.

No – because each session requires extensive preparation and individual analysis, mentoring packages are non-refundable once booked. However, you can reschedule sessions with at least 72 hours notice.

Yes, at any time. The extended access is available right away, and everything you have done comes with you. A good way in: start on Pro, and step into Elite the moment you want feedback on your own work.

You can cancel at any time. Your access stays active until the end of the subscription term you have already paid for, and nothing is charged after that.

Memberships are personal. Sharing logins will lead to suspension. If your studio or agency needs access for multiple people, please reach out for a custom solution.

No. All content is exclusive to The Curated Lab. Redistribution or resale is not permitted.

The images remain the property of the original photographers. They are shown for educational purposes only and cannot be copied, distributed or monetized.