Nick Bryan Cadalso

 A vicarious voyage to the kilt country

  By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

Bais-born and raised lensman Nick Brian Villegas Cadalso was beside himself with elation when the Glasgow Gallery of Photography (GGP) informed him in November of last year that one of the photographs he submitted in an online competition was chosen to be part of the sixty selected photographs that would be featured in an exhibition. But due to the global pandemic, the said exhibition was postponed to late March 2021.

What was originally conceptualized as a gallery-wide exhibition turned into a major event when funding helped the project. 

The GGP was set up six years ago by a group of Glasgow-based photographers with the plans to create a gallery-cum-showroom dedicated to photography in the Scottish capital. "It's a space where people can go to see photography by local lensmen, as well as international works.

"It's also a space where photographers and people interested in photography can go and get a cup of coffee and hang out and read books and magazines. We are a gallery that is open to everyone who wishes to exhibit their bodies of work," wrote the gallery on their social media account.

"The plan is some way off, so in the meantime, we want to try and create awareness of the project by giving photographers an outlet to show their works (free of charge) and publish them in an online publication. Photographers will also be able to submit their works and have them mounted in our online gallery.  We will also be running online competitions to help raise money towards the gallery and hold other photography-related events that everyone can be involved in."

According to its calendar of events, the GGP holds, at least, two exhibitions per month, mostly with a two-week duration.

Nick, or Bryan, as he is fondly called by family and friends, started tinkering with his Nikon camera in 2011. From then on, he pursued the hobby in earnest. "I started photography with my Nikon cam, but, for this contest, I used a Sony camera."

The sixty photos, selected from the online contest, will be seen around Glasgow until April 7. Bryan is a Media Arts instructor at the Bais City High School for the Arts. The 31-year-old mentor lives in Bais City with her younger sisters, Shane Marie (27)  and Stephanie Anne (25). He is the eldest, and only, son of the late Nicolas Cadalso and Angelina Villegas.

Prior to this exhibit, my only reference to Scotland was a line from the Abba classic, "Super Trouper." And by association, the hunting grounds of Balmoral Castle where Prince Charles, and his sons, William and Harry, used to do blood sport. Other than these, the other times would be when Scotland was made one of the locations in some Ian Fleming movie.

But with my nephew's photograph now gracing one of Glasgow's main thoroughfares, it would seem that the entire clan travelled with Bryan to the kilt country, albeit vicariously.

The GGP showroom-cum-gift shop is located at #140 Sauchiehall Street. For more information, simply check out their Web site, https://www.glasgowgalleryofphotography.com.