Northumbrian Piper

[John2]

.....except he wasn't (I don't think) because this was taken at an event on Preston Docks. However I think what he's playing is a set of Northumbrian Border Half-Long Pipes - but I can't be sure. John K ?

 

[Alan Clark]

The definition of a gentleman.......Someone who can play the bagpipes, but doesn't.

 

[John2]

 

[Elines]

Non-photographical point ... and may be because he wasn't in Northumbria .

I know only two things about Northumbrian pipes:

(1) Kathryn Tickell is an expert

(2) they are blown with bellows, not the mouth, which might explain why they don't sound as awful as Scottish bagpipes.

(and, no, I am not deliberately trying to offend as many people as possible in one post )

 

[John2]

Thanks Elines. There are images on Google that purport to be of Northumbrian pipes that have a visible mouthpiece but your right, mostly they have a bellows in addition to the Bag. To be fair, I have no idea whether those in my image are Northumbrian but having gone nearly cross eyed looking on the internet, I did find one image Northumbrian Border Half-Long Pipes that looked about right i.e. with that characteristic long pipe at the bottom of the bag but they could equally be continental. It's all guesswork on my part but what I was really hoping for was some comment on the image rather than the pipes.

 

[Elines]

….what I was really hoping for was some comment on the image rather than the pipes.

Fair point.

 

[Oldbones]

The bag has to be supplied with air hence the mouthpiece.
I like the photograph, and I like bagpipe sounds.

 

[John2]

Thanks Old Bones.

 

[Glenn]

Nice one John.

If you'll forgive a small critique, it looks like the background might have been blurred in post rather than being controlled with the aperture setting, particularly in the group of people by the subjects left pocket, the hair at the back of the head and in the hat. If so, I might be tempted to dial that back a smidge.

You know to use or ignore at your choice.

I was a sax player at one time and seriously considered a set of Northumbria pipes which attracted me as they played a normal musical scale. Never got to try them unfortunately.

 

[John2]

No you are right Glenn. The area was packed with people and I was trying to find a way of isolating the subject enough to give it impact - partly using the camera angle and then in post.

 

[Glenn]

In that case, I wonder if Martin's contrast grading technique might offer a more natural-looking solution to the challenge of isolating the subject.

Again, use or ignore at your choice.