Lenz Photography LLC of Knoxville presents Will Eriksson of Maryville High School. When Will's mom, Paula Osborn, originally contacted us to inquire about booking a session we immediately knew we were perfect for each other! Paula told us that she had searched all over the internet for a sports photographer until she came across our website. A lot of our client's are referred via word of mouth, so the fact that Paula took the time out of her day to search sports photographers in the area told us that she was serious about getting high quality sports portraits. Furthermore, when we found out that Paula is the owner of ROOST - an interior design company based in Maryville with an impressive range of clientele and a passion for handmade craft - we were flattered to be working for such a well respected and talented local artist. Now, we can't forget to give a quick shout out to the star of the show, Maryville High School Senior Class of 2020, Will Eriksson. During the shoot, Will was extremely easy to work with. We decided that we thought Will looked like a young Mark Wahlberg, so it was almost impossible to take a bad photo of him. Even when the wind blew, it's like it was always blowing his hair in the right direction! Will has played baseball since he was 5 years old, and was the catcher for the Maryville High School Rebels Baseball Team. Will is currently planning on attending the University of Tennessee where he will study to become a pediatric dentist. This brings us to one of the most sentimental moments of our career since we began Lenz Photography back in 2011. At Lenz Photography, we market and brand ourselves as badass sports photographers. "You Are Iconic" has been the catchphrase we have used since 2014 to convey the feeling of the larger-than-life style we try to create while showcasing the athletes we photograph. We've NEVER tried to market by taking the "let us capture your memories forever" approach. Nothing against any photographers that do that, but it's just not our style. However, that doesn't mean that we can't do both, and Paula's testimonial on instagram is proof of that: "Sunday night I watched my son put on his baseball uniform for the last time to have these pictures taken. I sat on the metal bleachers and watched his traditional cadence of buckling on his shinguards, pulling over his chest protector and sliding his mask over his face.. I have watched him put on his catchers equipment soooo many times, but this time was very different...this time I was unexpectedly overcome with emotion. I tried to pull myself together as the photographers worked with him, but behind my sunglasses, crocodile tears streamed down my face. I have sat on bleachers and watched my son play baseball since he was 5. Truly, I was really looking forward to baseball season as much as he was.... one last season of cheering and enjoying watching him play the game that he loves . I know that all of you other parents of High School Seniors can relate to this. We were all looking forward to celebrating our children. With every click of the camera and flash of the bulbs, I slowly began to heal.... maybe in an unexpected way sitting on that bleacher was the therapy I needed. This circumstance is not what any of us envisioned, and yes, it is hard. We have some great kids y’all, and I know that our kids will do amazing things in this world! I have always loved this quote which seems fitting for today... “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you will ever know”. #seniors2020#wewillriseup #betterdaysarecoming#momofasenior2020 #mykid#seniorstrong" -@ROOSTHOME It's moments like this that really make us slow down and truly appreciate what we do. Luckily, we were able to get Will's session in before the quarantine was put into place, but on the other hand, it was bittersweet to get the news that no school sports would take place the entire month of April. Paula's post truly brought tears to our eyes. We focus on the technical details behind the camera and the many aspects of growing a small business, but without the amazing clients we have the opportunity of working with, we wouldn't have amazing portraits. We appreciate all the athletes that put in the hard work to achieve their goals. We appreciate all the parents that invest in their children. And we appreciate everyone who has supported us through the struggle of running a small business for nearly a decade. Our hearts go out to the Seniors of 2020. We are all in this together, and we hope that through this pandemic there is a silver lining for each and every one of you. Maybe it's a cheesy metaphor, but in baseball you want to be safe at home, anyway. The key is being safe and healthy. Let's all look out for each other and make it a point to hit hard and make up for time lost once this is all a part of the past. Enjoy 39 ICONIC SENIOR PORTRAITS OF WILL ERIKSSON OF MARYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL!