Suffolk University Student Captures National Italian American Foundation Photography Award

Suffolk University student Nicole Cacchiotti’s eagle eye for expressions of love led to her being chosen the grand prize winner of the fifth annual National Italian American Foundation photography competition, themed “That’s Amore.”

Her winning photo was selected from among more than 150 submitted by amateur and professional photographers from around the world. The judges narrowed the field to six finalists based on the photos’ technical quality, composition, and conveyance of the contest theme.

Cacchiotti’s winning photo, titled Gli Amanti (The Lovers), was taken while she was on vacation in Siena, Italy, and depicts a young couple walking quietly side by side.

“I waited until they approached midpoint, then tilted my camera to frame them between the buildings,” she said. “Just then, they reached out to take each other’s hands, and I thought, now ‘That’s Amore.’ It was the perfect time in the perfect place to capture the perfect moment.”

Cacchiotti, Class of 2018, is a global business and marketing major who aims to combine her Suffolk education with her artistic endeavors, particularly as a photographer and a painter.

“My major has taught me tangible skills and an understanding of what it takes to do business globally,” she said. “And from the marketing side, what it takes to get people interested in what you have to offer.”

Her goal is to own galleries internationally that display art and new media.

“I want to do what I love,” she said.

Cacchiottti will be honored during the National Italian American Foundation’s Annual Gala Weekend Nov. 3-4 in Washington, DC. Her first-place photo will be showcased at the weekend’s Expo Siciliana and published on the foundation’s social media pages and in the upcoming winter issue of Ambassador magazine.