Orange Owned Spotlight: Catrina Moretz Photography
Catrina Moretz Photography, part of the Orange Owned business network, is a photography business owned and operated by Campbell alumna Catrina Moretz
out of the Raleigh area.
Catrina graduated from Campbell University in 2014 with her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management. She worked for the Office of Institutional Advancement as the Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship until 2018. Catrina was invited back to Campbell to take photos for the 2023 fall edition of Campbell Magazine and Homecoming 2023.
Catrina started her journey into photography traveling overseas with her husband, Sean. She bought a camera to document their travels. Her experiences lit the fire for her love of photography. Catrina said her time as an undergraduate student at Campbell shaped her into who she is today – somebody who is not afraid to take risks and be confident in her own abilities.
“Campbell prepared me to have confidence in myself,” Catrina said. “I attribute a lot of the success to who I am personally and what I’ve been able to achieve through my career and now starting my business to my time at Campbell.”
Working for Campbell Magazine over the summer, Catrina captured photos while walking around the Cape Fear River. She’s a recipient of Campbell Magazine and used her familiarity with the publication to her advantage. She had an idea of what readers would like to see, being a reader herself.
“I love a challenge and it was something new and exciting and fresh for me,” Catrina said.
Catrina said that while working with Dr. Bartlett, she got to learn so much about Campbell’s history and its ties to the Cape Fear River and the surrounding areas. Trying to shoot in the woods and tall grass making sure the sun created good lighting, all while making sure Dr. Bartlett was in the frame, wasn’t easy, but Catrina made it seem so.
“You can’t control every element to get the perfect photo, especially when you are out in nature. You have to work with what you have,” Catrina said.
After turning in her photos to the Magazine, Catrina was intrigued to find out how they would be used for the cover story.
“When I got the Magazine and I saw the [cover]… that was my photo. I wanted to cry; it was amazing,” she said.
Given her excellent debut with Campbell Magazine, the Alumni Association was thrilled to welcome Catrina back as its Homecoming photographer. It was Catrina’s first Homecoming back at Campbell since her graduation in 2014.
“It felt like a family reunion,” she recalled.
Catrina mentioned how great it was to be able to see her old classmates and the faculty that impacted her time here at Campbell.
“I love Campbell and anytime I can come down and combine my business es and my passion with a place that I love and miss a lot is always a good thing,” she said.
Catrina said she plans on using her affiliation with Orange Owned to connect with other photographers in the industry. She also “hopes that alumni will think of me when they think of their future photography needs.”
Catrina said that her goal for this year is to continue with family, portrait and event photography but also “incorporate more weddings into my calendar and continue to establish Catrina Moretz Photography in the wedding space as well.”
Catrina’s advice to someone wanting to start their own business is: “Don’t hesitate. Just do it and start small. Be confident in your skill[s]; be confident in your ability. Don’t doubt yourself. When starting a business, you will find out that you have a lot of support from the friends and family around you.”
Orange Owned seeks to recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of our alumni and support their efforts while offering another benefit to our alumni body. Once a business owner has registered their business on our site, we will list the business name, location, and a brief description. Alumni will then be able to find an alumni-owned business within their community to support.