Nicole Canegata is an internationally published commercial, lifestyle and destination photographer. She was born, raised, and is based in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Nicole is a fifth-generation “Crucian” of Puerto Rican/Taino Indian, West African and European descent, deeply connected to her ancestral lands, rich culture, and beautiful island community. With over a decade of photography experience, Nicole specializes in architecture, portraiture, lifestyle + branding, wedding and special events photography. She works with a myriad of clients (see client listing below) on a spectrum of interesting projects and is happy to accommodate your professional photography needs.

Nicole was inspired by her father’s photo obsession at a young age - he handed her a Polaroid camera at age 10 to take a photo of him in his military uniform - little did he know, he awoke the budding photographer inside of her. It wasn’t until she participated in Semester at Sea her senior year in college - a study abroad program where she lived on a ship for 100 days, circumnavigating the globe and visiting 10 different countries - that she caught the “travel bug” and knew photography and travel would become life-long passions. Life suddenly changed for Nicole after her Dad: Lt. Colonel, David C. Canegata III was tragically killed in combat, while serving in Iraq in 2007. Out of that experience, she decided to live more fully and embrace her innate passions - she purchased her first digital SLR camera shortly after, and life has never been the same! 

Her commercial work has recently been featured in: Architectural Digest, VOGUE.com, Travel + Leisure Magazine, The Sunday Times (United Kingdom), The New York Times & The Wall Street Journal, amongst the other publications listed below. She has been a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) for ten years. In the wedding world, Nicole was voted by The Virgin Islands Daily News, Reader's Choice: "Best Wedding Photographer of the Virgin Islands” for the last two years, and has been awarded the Wedding Wire "Couple's Choice Award" the last four years in a row. In November 2018, Nicole had the pleasure of photographing award-winning, country singer, Brett Young and his beautiful wife, Taylor Mills Young while on their honeymoon in St. Croix and her photos were published in Inspirato’s Winter/Spring 2019 Magazine.

As a fine art photographer, Nicole has participated in a number of solo fine art and group photography exhibits in her community and abroad. She was the 2018 resident artist at the renowned Henle Gallery in downtown Christiansted, where she exhibited the “Sands of Time”, a photo essay on her travels to Egypt and Jordan, and continued the “The Traveling Lense” series, the catalyst that inspired her to resign from her 9-5 financial research job and pursue photography as a full-time career. Nicole also taught photography part-time at her alma mater, The Good Hope Country Day School, after Hurricanes Irma & Maria in 2017-2018.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, and interned with Santa Barbara Magazine during that time. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Duquesne University and is an alumna of the Shipboard’s Education, Semester at Sea, study abroad program. A world traveler at heart, Nicole has visited six continents, 59 countries and over 190 cities across the globe - 100 countries is one of her life’s goals! She is always available for travel worldwide!

Nicole is a social/spiritual activist and an avid reader. When she isn’t traveling, shooting on location, or editing her life away, you can find Nicole at the barre (Barre Fitness that is), on her yoga mat, salsa dancing, or on nature adventures.

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For further inquiries, be in touch today! 

PUBLICATIONS: Architectural Digest; VOGUE.com; Travel + Leisure Magazine; The Sunday Times (United Kingdom); The New York Times; The Wall Street Journal; Inspirato Magazine; Santa Barbara Magazine; The Magazine Antiques; Modo de Vida Magazine; Uni Nova Magazine, DuPont Registry & St. Croix This Week.

CLIENT LISTING: J. Walter Thompson; Paul Mitchell: The School Santa Barbara; Sotheby's Real Estate; Coldwell Banker Realty; The Cornell Group; Design Lab; Serenity Garden Luxury Villas; The American Riviera Bank; Utt Construction, Inc.; Thompson Naylor Architects; Aqua Sounds Studio; Diageo USVI; Sugar & Spice Salon Spa; St. Croix Food & Wine Experience; IB Designs; Zion Modern Kitchen; Balter Restaurant; ADORN VI; Dassault Systémes; Toshiba International; The University of Basel, Switzerland; St. Croix Foundation; Law Office of Joel H. Holt; Rotary International; Evolve Vacation Rentals; The Artist: La Vaughn Belle; Inspirato; Brett Young & Lovango Resort + Beach Club.

“Follow Your Bliss” video filmed by Saskia Koerner & edited by Lex Gallegos