There’s less than 365 days left until the Olympic torch is in Beijing. To celebrate this milestone, 40 iconic Olympic images from Getty Images are now on display on WangFu Jiang Street.

WangFu Jiang Street, known as “the golden street,” is located in the heart of Beijing. It’s the main commercial and cultural center in the area and is visited by 400,000-500,000 people every day.

Earlier in the year, Beijing celebrated a 500 day countdown and a very similiar campaign was used to capture the spirit of the games and get everyone excited. This time around, our images are even bigger. Twenty Getty Images photos are as big as billboards (1.6*1 m) and are located in front of the book store. Another 20 images appear on banners that hang from light poles along the main street.

This is an exciting time, not only for the athletes, coaches and fans preparing for the games, but also for the photographers, editors and everyone at Getty Images. The spirit of competition is in the air!

From L: John Harrelson, rusty Jarrett stand in, Chris graythen, Todd Warshaw, me, Justin Heiman and Jason Smith with towel. Picture by Jonathan Daniel

With the possibility of another day of rain on Tuesday, the Getty Images crew did the only two things we could think of to help get the track dry. We bought rain jackets and wore rally caps.

We felt with the combination of rally caps and rain jackets Mother Nature would finally let up on the rain that has poured down all over Michigan the last three days.

It worked.

But only after two postponements, one fog delay and an overtime, the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway finally ended and it was well worth the wait.

Not only did I finally get my first NASCAR race in I was able to get on pit row and shoot the pits throughout the race.

I have a new found respect for all the pit crew, fire crew, NASCAR Nextel officials, the photographers who are just a few feet away from grave danger and the drivers who risk their lives each time they get behind the wheel for the entertainment of their diehard fans.

And speaking of the fans, they were also pretty great at MIS.

After having to come to the track for three straight days in the cold rain, the fans finally got what they paid for or didn’t pay for. Admission for many race fans was free yesterday because the track couldn’t staff enough security to check tickets.

Not a bad deal for those NASCAR fans who stuck it out.

What the fans did get was a great race with the #2 car driven by Kurt Busch (who we saw at dinner just two nights before) getting the victory.

Our photographers captured some great shots of Busch, especially some our new staff photographer Chris Graythen captured from the flag stand.

So now for me and the rest of the “NASCAR Rally Crew” it’s on to the night race in Bristol, Tennessee – not Connecticut as Justin Heiman and I first thought.

As I check the weather report once again, it doesn’t look good.

Saturday night’s forecast has a 50% chance of thunderstorms and a high of 92 degrees.

Looks like those rain jackets might come in handy again.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 21: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, does a victory burnout across the finish line after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway on August 21, 2007 in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 19: A Michigan International Speedway vehicle sweeps the track as blowers are used as well to try to dry the track prior to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway on August 19, 2007 in Brooklyn, Michigan.

I’ve been an editor at Getty Images for almost four years but yet, for some reason, I have never worked a NASCAR race.

Until now. Kind of.

I was assigned to the 3M Performance 400 in Brooklyn, MI to get my first race under my belt until next week’s famed night race at Bristol.

However, it is now Monday and I am sitting here in the media center looking out the window as nearly two inches of rain falls and the TV keeps popping in flash flood warnings.

For those of you who didn’t know – like me – NASCAR stock cars don’t have lights or windshield wipers plus nobody wants to drive 200 mph on a wet track.

The chances for a race today aren’t looking very good and there is rain as well in forecast tomorrow as well.

So now we wait and wait and wait.

Justin Heiman and I, who are editing for the six photographers we have here, sent about 20 pictures of wet drives and wet cars yesterday. Today, we will just be looking for more rain features. Unfortunately, we have to sit here and wait until the race is officially called off for the day. The good news is the tack doesn’t lights.

As for next week the forecast for the weekend at Bristol is, guess what, RAINY!

When does the NBA season start again?

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 19: Crew members push the car of Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DeWalt Ford, back to the garage during a rain delay prior to the start of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway on August 19, 2007 in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Here I am in the pool capturing the diving event.

All in all Rio was a mixed bag of experiences, some good and some bad, but always a surprise or challenge around the corner. Getting sick after the first week of non-stop work with a fever, an upper respiratory cold, and some stomach issues didn’t help either. And unfortunately, I had to cut my trip short after I learned my father-in-law was very ill back in the states.

Notwithstanding, I found myself in the middle of some great photo opportunities and experiences at Rio. It was the first time at a major competition that I was allowed in the field of play (the pool) during an actual diving and synchronized swimming competition. I had shot from the water during practice at the Olympics but was never allowed within feet of the athletes during the actual contest. And this amazing photo opp. was mostly due to my incessant badgering of the photo manager at the Aquatics Center, Marco Antonio Rezende, who was a trusting person and a experienced photographer who knows the importance of a different angle. Thank you Marco!

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Aside from making nice photos, it was just so cool to be sitting at the bottom of the pool with a wide angle lens, watching my unknowing victims swim by like an alligator on the bottom of a lake.

From underwater to aerial views from helicopters, and indoor volleyball with catwalk access for remote photos, to photo boats at the rowing that weren’t nice for photos but rather just a pleasant ride; to dark indoor venues like fencing, weightlifting and boxing that at least had clean backgrounds to deal with, the Pan-Ams in Rio definitely had some opportunities for nice photos and memories.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Luckily we had great photo managers at venues who would bend with what probably seemed liked odd or difficult picture requests at the time. But more importantly, none of our coverage would have been possible without our dedicated Getty Images photo team: Harry How, Streeter Lecka, Jeff Gross, and Rebecca Butala. And a special shout out to our man from Sao Paulo, Denis Lacerda, who was always there to help either carry camera cases or “my cylinder” (a.k.a. my scuba tank), or would stand still with his hands up in the air for 10 minutes at a time to help focus a remote camera, or even just aid us with getting out of trouble with the locals.

Denis in action - helping me set up the remote on the catwalk.

Thank you, we couldn’t have done it without you Denis!

So another beautiful sun has set on Rio and the Pan-Am games. I’m glad I was a part of it, and if I am lucky and still a photographer in four years, I can work on my Espanol and be in Guadalajara in 2011 for next Pan-Ams. But I will always look back at my Brazilian experience fondly after I hopefully get the theme song out of my head…

Obrigado and Boa Noite!

Harry How/Getty Images

Dana Ellis of Canada competes in the Women’s Pole Vault final during at the Joao Havelange Stadium on July 23, 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On one of my many taxi rides home one evening, my English speaking cabbie said to me, “Are you enjoying Rio?” I thought about my photos, my beach front hotel, caipirinhas and grilled meats, but didn’t yet answer.

It usually takes about 2 weeks for the excitement of any games to wear off. It’s when the best venues are figured out, when you’re fed up with having to argue for photo positions, when tired is replaced by exhaustion and when I begin to crave a Chipotle burrito.

Like everything we do in life, the people around you can make a bad situation better and a good situation great. Denis Lacerda from our Getty Images Sao Paulo office was the fix it man and had a great laugh. Just hearing him say “rotel” instead of “hotel” and pronounce the “h” in “honest” can unexpectedly brighten anyone’s 18 hour day.

Camilla and Leo of the Brazil Olympic Committee helped us throughout the logistics and energized our week with a night of Samba. My fellow photographers Jeff Gross, Streeter Lecka and Donald Miralle were with me throughout the games. I consider these men friends before colleagues.

Most of all, I got to spend time with my favorite person - Rebecca Butala. She organizes, edits, inspires, supports and endures me in this crazy lifestyle that we share.

I answered my cabbie, “Even the charm of paradise can fade on a business trip.”

One of my highlights of the games was when I had a chance to take a ride in the broadcast helicopter in time for the men’s road cycling final. This was shot overlooking Copacabana Beach as the peleton rode down Avenue Atlantica.