Perhaps few races frustrate me creatively when I look back at my work than the 2015 Miami ePrix. Held all on a single day, the event was a return for racing to the streets of downtown Miami. Originally signed on for a five-year contract, the event ended up being a one-off. Many things frustrate me about that event. The fact that some practices got cancelled or shortened due to track construction not being finished by the time the green flag was to fall for on-track activity is one of them. I also lament my lack of talent at the time, let alone the quality of my gear. 
  Street courses have slowly become my favorite type of motorsports to photograph. They're difficult and challenging in many ways. Despite this, they offer incredible potential for creativity. I've found my creativity has flourished in the last year at street courses, and I wish I knew what I know now and had better vision. With that in mind, I decided to go back and look at my shots captured, re-process some of them (or at least the few that I found that didn't suck), and share them with you.

  The paddock space was split into two areas. The first was the Formula E paddock and pits, located on land along the backside of the American Airlines Arena (it will always be the AAA to true Miami fans). The second was a separate paddock near the fan areas for a support race that featured local school students who build electric vehicles and raced them at the event. With such limited time, I only really had time to venture into the latter of the two.

The iconic shot of the venue had to be the Turn 1 shot. Photographed through fencing as few photo holes were cut for the track, this angle showcased the palm trees lining Biscayne Ave. as well as numerous downtown Miami buildings and skyscrapers, including the iconic Freedom Tower.

  The head-on shot looking down Biscayne Blvd. before the turned left onto NE 11th Terrace in front of what is now The Gabriel hotel featured stereotypical street course looks. Once again, sunlit palm trees and street signs feature in the background here, and my lack of quality lenses make me yearn for a time machine. Shooting with a 55-200mm kit lens on a D7000 means full-zoom images are incredibly soft and lacking in sharpness. 

One spot I spent a lot of time shooting at was inside Turn 3. This corner, located on the far side turnaround of the track followed Turn 2 from NE 11th Terrace north onto NE 2nd Avenue, then turning onto a road that no longer exists after passing under I-395 (The McArthur Causeway). Here, the catch fencing gave way to cars passing within inches of photographers. While my fisheye was a favorite shot here to freeze the action with my fellow photographers in such close proximity (much like the famous hairpin at Long Beach), only one wide-angle 18-55mm kit lens shot was salvageable. 

  The final shot I got during the event as time quickly wound down was of Turn 5. This followed the northbound lanes of Biscayne Blvd. counter traffic southward till it turned east onto NE 8th Street towards the paddock behind the AAA. The circuit allowed for the median of Biscayne Blvd. to be open to photographers to transit along towards various corners. Here, a going away shot featuring the AAA and the race's eventual podium was the go-to shot. But once again, lack of talent, gear, and most importantly, vision, leads to a simple image one wishes they could improve on.

  Ultimately, I did not shoot the post-race podium celebration, a regret I carry to this day due to its unique location. Many things stick with me to this day about this, my first ever street race I ever shot. But without a doubt, it helped sow the seeds of my love for street courses and still affects my yearning to perform when shooting these unique circuits.