A mother of four, photographer, nature lover. Someone trying to make sense of it all, through photos and stories. 

I try to be free in all senses of the word, so I made the leap and now work with what I love doing; taking pictures, storing this life in moments, both for myself and for clients. My heart is in photographing birth and motherhood, but I take on just about any photography job. 
(See my birth photos at www.birth.no and the rest of my work portfolio at www.mariavatne.no.)

I live on a farm in Norway with my man Nik and my children Ronja, Freja, Falk and Ulv, plus a bunch of animals. We grow our own food as far as the seasons allow it, we don't go to kindergarten, the three youngest ones will be homeschooled.

We govern our own lives, we strive for independence, we want to be in this life wild and free and full of love.

Reflections in bed.

I can't remember the last time I've felt so ill. I have been struck by a terrible attack of the flu, so I've spent the last five days in bed, going a bit mad at times. My restless nature. It gives me many advantages - it gives me the speed to get things done, but it also brings solid challenges. I am becoming more aware of them. And in a strange kind of way, it felt fitting in all its stressfulness that I should have no other option right now than to just lay there, and wait, and let the illness run its course through my body. I have tons of photos to edit, I had to postpone a job, I don't have time to be sick now - but, still, it felt like it was exactly what I needed. Because I have a lot to think about, I have a whole person to listen to (me), and I haven't done much of that lately, to be honest. 

Before I fell ill, there was this evening, I had put the boys to bed first, and then the girls and I went to bed after them. Two snoring little boys in a bed. The windows were open, the blinds were down, but there were streams of evening sun coming in through the cracks. Birds outside still singing frantically, buzzing of flies, a light draft through the warm room. Me and my four magical children in our huge bed together. Always, together. 

And it is things like these I have thought about when I have been sick this week. How my wealth really only comes in one form: Not by the number of jobs I have, but by love. Only by love.

Camping in paradise.

Pure gold.