A special evening at The Hub in Verulam Road highlighted the power of storytelling through photography and music, bringing together people connected by creativity, curiosity, and shared experiences.
Ben Lowe, creative director and founder of Immersions May Vary, hosts the In The Frame series, bespoke, fan-focused live events and intimate storytelling experiences created in collaboration with legendary musicians and creatives.
Ben explained the heart behind the evenings: “In The Frame’s purpose is to inspire our audience, create a feeling in the room they can leave with and apply to whatever they do for fun.”
The event featured acclaimed music photographer Hans-Peter, whose remarkable career photographing some of the biggest names in music brought an audience of music and photography lovers together for a genuinely engaging evening.
Hans-Peter’s work with artists including Muse, Stereophonics, and Paolo Nutini formed the backdrop to an intimate talk filled with striking imagery, humour, and honest reflections from life behind the camera.
Rather than feeling like a formal lecture, the evening unfolded more like a conversation between artist and audience, with stories that gave a rare insight into the world behind live music photography.
Reflecting on the evening, Hans-Peter said: “The storytelling evening felt very intimate and authentic. The audience brought amazing energy, and the atmosphere throughout the night was fantastic.”
He added: “Talking about my journey photographing artists like Muse, Stereophonics, and Paolo Nutini in front of such enthusiastic people made the night unforgettable.
“It was a special evening, the audience was warm, curious, and very pure in their reactions. You could really feel the connection in the room.
“The audience in The Hub were incredibly enthusiastic and genuinely engaged. It felt like sharing stories with people who truly love music and photography.”
Throughout the evening, Hans-Peter shared stories from years spent navigating the unpredictable world of live music, from backstage encounters to moments of chaos in front of the stage barrier, giving audiences a glimpse into experiences fans rarely get to hear about.
Ben echoed the warmth of the evening and the connection felt throughout the room.
“The audience in St Albans was incredibly enthusiastic and genuinely engaged. It felt like sharing stories with people who truly love music and photography,” he said.
Ben also shared how much Hans-Peter enjoyed his first visit to St Albans: “Despite Hans-Peter touring the world with his camera, the event brought him to St Albans for the first time and he loved it. From being wowed inside our Cathedral to spending time over a pint of Guinness in Ye Olde Fighting Cocks’ beer garden with fellow artist Morgan Howell, to being welcomed at The Hub, the whole evening felt special.”
For Stacey Turner, founder of mental health charity It’s OK To Say, who also writes about wellbeing, entertainment, lifestyle, and travel, the evening left a lasting impression: “I particularly enjoyed hearing how Ben and Hans-Peter first met at a Stereophonics show in Manchester back in 2015 and how Ben was pulled into a cab at 3am after the show by Hans- Peter.”
Stacey said. “Ben had worked in the music industry for many years before founding Immersions May Vary and, ironically, had been a fan of Hans-Peter’s work throughout his teenage years.”
Stacey added: “It was an intimate evening with like-minded people, utterly blown away by the work of Hans- Peter and everything he has navigated throughout his career. Hearing stories about even being pulled up by security despite having an all-access pass was brilliant.
“His energy filled the room and had us completely transfixed. Photography and music in a lovely setting, what’s not to love?
“Thank you to Ben and Hans-Peter for a wonderful evening, and thank you for further inspiring my daughters.”
As the night came to a close, it felt clear that this was far more than simply a talk about photography. It was a celebration of music culture, human connection, and the stories that happen just beyond the stage lights.
For more In The Frame events, visit www.immersionsmayvary.com or follow them on Instagram.
It’s OK To Say founder Stacey Turner explores wellbeing through belonging, creativity and shared experiences…
There are some evenings you enjoy. And then there are evenings that stay with you.
A few days after attending an intimate storytelling event at The Hub in St Albans with music photographer Hans-Peter and creative director Ben Lowe, I realised I was thinking less about the photographs themselves and more about the stories behind them and how the evening made me feel.
I had been genuinely excited when Ben invited me and then to bring it together for the St Albans Times.
Excited for Ben, whose passion for creating meaningful experiences through In The Frame is impossible to ignore.
Excited for Hans-Peter, whose extraordinary career photographing some of the biggest names in music had brought him to St Albans for the first time.
And, if I am honest, excited as someone who has always believed stories matter.
Not only the ones captured in photographs or lived backstage with world famous musicians, but the stories between people.
Because even in fleeting moments with others, something meaningful can happen, a shared laugh, a conversation, an unexpected connection. Sometimes those brief encounters stay with us far longer than we ever imagined.
The evening was filled with humour, honesty and moments that made the audience laugh collectively. Stories unfolded about life behind the camera, unpredictable experiences on tour and
encounters most people only glimpse from afar.
Yet what stayed with me was something quieter.
The warmth in the room.
The genuine engagement.
The sense that for a few hours nobody seemed rushed.
That struck me.
Because rushing has become normal.
We rush through messages, responsibilities, work, school runs, worries and expectations. Many people carry more than others realise whilst appearing perfectly fine on the surface.
I often write and speak about mental health and wellbeing, and understandably those conversations focus on difficult moments. Anxiety. Burnout. Loneliness. Exhaustion.
But wellbeing is not only built in crisis.
Sometimes it is built quietly.
Through belonging.
Through inspiration.
Through shared experiences.
Through sitting shoulder to shoulder with people you may never meet again and realising
everyone has stepped away from busy lives simply to experience something together.
I am not sure we value those moments enough.
Listening to Hans-Peter speak openly about years spent photographing globally recognised musicians, there was honesty, humour and humility.
Yet what stood out equally was the atmosphere Ben Lowe had created through In The Frame, one where stories mattered and audiences were invited in rather than spoken at.
It felt personal.
Human.
The kind of environment where people soften slightly.
Perhaps that sounds strange, but I think many will understand what I mean. Life can harden us over time.
Responsibilities do that.
Loss does that.
Stress does that.
And then occasionally, an evening arrives that reminds you curiosity still exists. Inspiration still exists. Community still exists.
I particularly enjoyed hearing how Ben and Hans-Peter first met years earlier at a Stereophonics show in Manchester. A chance encounter. A friendship. Different paths eventually leading to St Albans and a room full of people listening years later.
It made me think about how many meaningful things begin unexpectedly.
A conversation.
A shared interest.
Being in the right place at the right time.
Or simply a fleeting moment with someone that quietly leaves its mark.
We rarely recognise the importance of those moments whilst we are living them.
As adults, we often stop acknowledging the importance of inspiration. We celebrate children feeling inspired, but perhaps overlook our own need for wonder, excitement and possibility.
I thanked Ben and Hans-Peter afterwards for inspiring my daughters.
Driving home later, I found myself wondering something unexpected.
Had the evening inspired me too?
Not towards anything dramatic.
Just a gentle reminder of things easy to lose sight of as adults, curiosity, creativity, connection and the importance of making space for experiences that leave us feeling something.
There is growing awareness around loneliness and wellbeing, and rightly so. Yet perhaps support is not always found only in services or interventions.
Sometimes support looks smaller.
An evening out.
Shared laughter.
Listening.
Learning.
Sitting in a room where people feel welcome.
Maybe this is why evenings centred around music, storytelling and creativity matter beyond
entertainment.
Because long after the chairs are stacked away and people return to everyday life, something often remains.
A feeling.
A memory.
A renewed sense of inspiration.
And sometimes, without realising it in the moment, a fleeting connection becomes part of your story too.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source stalbanstimes.co.uk ’
