I open with the Stones

It's opening night. I've looked forward to this for months: photographing the Rolling Stones. I'm a lifelong fan: the raw energy of their music; Mick Jagger's stage antics; the iconic songs from four decades of albums. Boston has been chosen as the first stop on their latest world tour.

Photographers are told to meet at the security entrance of the arena an hour before the show. Our camera equipment bumps as 20 of us squeeze into the small entryway. Some of us are from Europe, one is from Japan. Each of us has at least two cameras with one, sometimes two, long lenses, plus a wide-angle. As is the norm at rock concerts, we can shoot only the first two songs. With so many of us, we'll shoot in two shifts. "Group No. 1!" (My group!) "You will shoot the first two songs. As soon as the lights go down, do not shoot one more frame! Back up and let the next group in to shoot." OK, OK. Then it dawns on me: I'll be out front for four songs. Heaven! Concert photographers stand in front of the front-row seats!

I have butterflies in my stomach as we wait, wait, wait for the show to begin. Suddenly, the lights go out, a spotlight comes on and ... Mick Jagger is six feet away. He struts and gyrates around the stage. I keep bumping the photographer in front of me with my lens ("Oh, sorry. Sorry!") as I track Mick. This isn't easy; the guy never stands still. But what a subject!

When our time is up, we're escorted out. I run to stow my equipment in my car before coming back in to take a seat (far back in the arena) and watch the rest of the show. Wow, the Rolling Stones! This is satisfaction.