I Know This Much ndash; by Gary Kemp; Spandau Ballets prime mover ndash; is simply the freshest; most exciting and best-written memoir to arrive for years.Garys story begins in North London; where the Kemp family rented a home with no bathrooms and chickens in the yard. After a couple of failed attempts to kill his brother Martin; his parents gave him a guitar for Christmas.From schoolyard battles between the Bowie Boys and the Prog Rockers to Mrs Kemps firm insistence on net curtains; from acting for the Childrens Film Foundation to manning a fruit and veg stall on Saturdays; Gary brilliantly evokes an upbringing full of love; creativity and optimism.As the Thatcher years begin; Garys account of the outrageous London club scene centred around the Blitz and Billys is just sizzling. Out of this glamorous mayhem of kilt-wearing mascarad peacocks would emerge Spandau Ballet - the band that would define the era; and hold high the victorious standard of the New Romantics.Garys thrilling journey with Spandau Ballet would see them record worldwide hits such as True; Gold and Through the Barricades; play the biggest stadiums in the world; and take to the stage in togas when their luggage gets lost in flight. Stallions; supermodels and dwarves would be hired for video shoots; and through it all; Gary records the wonderful friendships; and the slowly-building tensions that would eventually see five old friends facing each other in court.I Know This Much tells the story of Spandau Ballet; but its far more than a book about being in a band. Whether its meeting Ronnie Kray before filming The Krays; sketching out the fashions and subcultures of the day; or hanging out with Princess Diana; this book offers a story on every page. And all the more so because its all written ndash; brilliantly ndash; by Gary himself.
#1066927 in eBooks 2009-10-01 2009-10-01File Name: B002RTINCY
Review
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful. highly recommend!By Angel BurnsI am professional commercial/fine art photographer. and OH how I wish I had this little gem back when I was starting out. Its got a recipe for everything! That makes getting great shots very simple. way before needing to learn the "theory" behind the settings. My favorite part was Alans explanations of the LOGIC. that is questions to ask yourself...the order of decisions one must consider before taking a picture. Its the kind of thing most shooters learn school-of-hard-knocks method. by years of experience. Here Alan Hess has made the mysterious digital photography world accessible to all. Chock-full of picture examples on almost every page. this guide lists the specific camera settings that created each one. Fantastic! The color checker card was a nice bonus as well. (Sold separately. a checker costs more than this book!) A really unbelievable bargain to get this much at such a reasonable price. Its going to be a great gift to all the friends I mentor in photography. Thanks. Alan!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book in a "field guide" size that stands the test of time. thoroughly covering exposure and many kinds of scenes.By ƒůŽźYuml; ωŬge;ζŷ hearts;☮â™â™©â™ªâ™«â™¬â™®â˜¯â˜ºâ™¡âœˆà®‡ Fuzzy Wuzzys Summary:ѾѾѾѾѾ Highly recommended with warm fuzzies!Even though I purchased this book more than two years ago. this book on exposure stands the test of time in my large collection of photography books. During the past two years. I have continued to add to my collection of photography how-to books and this book is still one of my two favorite books on exposure that I read for insight. with my other favorite exposure book being Bryan Petersons excellent book Understanding Exposure. 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera.While I have also read other photography books on exposure. I love this excellent "field guide" stuffed with useful how-to guidelines that I may need out in the field. on-location. or while traveling. and its compact 9"x6" size makes it easy to fit inside my camera bag or backpack. I have another so-called "DSLR field guide" written by a well-known photography expert. and while I also really respect this other author. his field guide spends way too much time talking about the history of photography. camera parts. CMOS versus CCD digital image sensors. and post-processing. While all of this is interesting. it really does not belong in a field guide where the reader needs to quickly look up information to help answer some specific questions that may arise while actually photographing or getting ready to photograph.This book is nicely balanced in its coverage of a wide range of exposure topics and a multitude of scenes and shooting scenarios that you may encounter. The first five chapters. covering 86 pages or about one-third of the book. discuss the various factors that affect exposure. including your cameras exposure and metering modes. the color and direction of lighting. and the three amigos of shutter speed. aperture. and ISO settings.Chapters 6 through 13 then each cover a different kind of exposure scene: event photography. portraits. landscape and nature. night and low-light. sports and action. wedding photography. wildlife and animal. and ending with "creative exposure" where you are purposely overexposing or underexposing to create a mood or effect. Each of these eight "scene" chapters begins with an "Exposure Considerations" section that discusses variables and factors to consider along with offering suggestions of how to adjust your camera settings. This is followed by a "The Right Equipment for the Job" section in each chapter that discusses the cameras. lenses. lighting. and accessories that you may need to successfully shoot those kinds of scenes. Each "scene" chapter then ends with a list of very useful "Shooting Tips". The layouts of these chapters have a very useful cookbook approach to guiding you through properly exposed shots of various scenes. helping you to mentally think through various considerations that you may need to take into account for a particular scene. The book ends with an Appendix that discusses post-processing software and how to use the included combination gray card and color checker card. The inclusion of the gray and color checker card in the book adds even more to the usefulness of this book.Even though I have practiced my own exposure techniques for years now. combined with LOTS of learning from my mistakes over the years. I still periodically flip through this compact book because it is filled with lots of great tips!16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. A True Gem. U BetchaBy Mili de BrownThis is the book that shouldve been in my less-than-amateur hands back in 2005. Clear sentences. clear explanations. clear LOGIC. Alan Hess surely knows how to communicate to the non-professional enthusiast. and gives tons of positive moral support by explaining the basics of exposure. shutter speed. aperture. and ISO in a totally chewable presentation.If youre just starting to get your feet wet in digital photography. dont pass up on this excellent book. Mastering the concept of exposure should be a primary goal. and Alan Hess gives a pretty impressive overview of how to start thinking and deciding upon the best way to produce beautiful images. Very insightful tips too.A great sub-title for this book wouldve been "Exposure Exposed!" Luv it. And. yes. this will travel alongside my camera for a long. long time.
