UPenn Spring Fling 2025 •Outdoor Concert Photography • Latin BBQ @One Art Community Center
DJ Chuy throwing a high-energy set, masterfully mixing Latin pop classics with fresh house tracks.
UPenn Spring Fling Latin BBQ 2025: Energy, Music, and Memories
This event is always a ton of fun to shoot. With over 1,500 attendees dancing to Latin-house beats, enjoying tacos and ice cream, this was the biggest year of Latin BBQ to date. It was the kind of electrifying atmosphere that reminds me why I fell in love with event photography in the first place. The combination of music, sun, and genuine joy created perfect moments for me to capture. The UPenn Spring Fling Latin BBQ brought its signature energy to One Art Community Center this weekend, and I enjoyed being behind the lens once again.
Enjoy this gallery of my highlights. For photographers curious about my gear, scroll down to the bottom.
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My Top 150 (out of 450):
Event Highlights
The main stage featured a lineup of DJs who kept the dance floor packed with Latin-house bangers that had everyone moving. What I especially love about this event is how the team decorates the venue with many different Latin American and Spanish flags. There's something truly special about capturing students proudly waving their flags or draping them around their shoulders as they dance and celebrate. These moments of cultural pride and connection make for some of my favorite shots of the day.
The food vendors were another highlight. The taco truck consistently had a line wrapped around the corner, and the ice cream truck provided welcome relief as the afternoon heated up. Capturing people enjoying their food against the backdrop of the music and dancing created some beautifully candid moments.
The carnival games and mechanical bull added another dimension to the event. The expressions on people's faces as they attempted to stay on the bull for just a few seconds longer were priceless - equal parts determination and joy. These moments of playfulness contrasted perfectly with the more serious fundraising aspect of the event.
Gear
For my gear, I used two camera bodies and a combination of lenses. My main body was the Fujifilm X-H2. I switched between the ultrawide Viltrox 13mm f1.4, the versatile Fuji 16-55 f2.8 zoom lens, and the stunning telephoto Viltrox 75mm f1.2 lenses. My secondary camera was my Nikon Zf with 40mm f2 lens. Using a Peak Design Capture Clip, I attached my Nikon Zf to my Peak Design 6L Sling bag, which also held my extra lenses, spare batteries, cleaning cloth, and backup SD cards.
This setup allowed me to shoot hybrid photo/video throughout the event. While the video is still in the editing stage (coming soon!), I'm excited to share this collection of still images that capture the essence of this year's Spring Fling.
Behind the Editing Process
Post-processing is where the magic really happens, and this project gave me plenty of room to play with different styles. I used Cobalt Image profiles for my Nikon Zf to match the colors to my Fujifilm color profiles in Lightroom, creating a consistent look across both camera systems.
For most images, I went with Fuji Astia as the base for a soft, bright, vibrant look that complemented the festive atmosphere. When I wanted a bit more contrast and drama, particularly for the DJ shots and some dance floor moments, Classic Chrome became my go-to profile.
I also experimented with Classic Negative combined with grain for a handful of shots, giving them a more analog/retro feel that worked beautifully for candid moments and some of the carnival games. Since this was a substantial album of 450 images, I allowed myself to play with different styles as I progressed through the editing process, incorporating other color profiles like Adobe Color or Fuji Nostalgic Neg when the mood struck. This variety gives my clients multiple looks ready to go for their social media posts.
Overcoming Technical Challenges
Although there was plenty of soft natural light on this bright overcast day, shooting hybrid photo and video meant I often had an ND filter attached to my lenses. Since ND filters darken the shot, on some images, especially those captured on stage in the shade, my ISO crept rather high.
While my Nikon Zf handles higher ISOs phenomenally, my 40mp Fuji X-H2 shows noise and grain even at ISO 1000. For shots with ISO 1000 and up on my Fuji X-H2, I ran them through DXO PureRAW 4 processor to produce sharpened and de-noised DNG files. The results speak for themselves — clean, crisp images even in challenging lighting conditions.
Looking Ahead
I'm currently putting the finishing touches on the video portion of this project, so check back soon for the full multimedia experience! This marks my second year capturing both stills and video for the Latin BBQ, and I'm excited to share how the event has evolved.
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If you're planning an event and looking for hybrid photo/video coverage that captures both the big moments and the intimate details, I'd love to chat. The same approach I bring to events like the Latin BBQ — technical precision combined with an eye for authentic moments — can help tell your story too.
Until next time,
Mateen
