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.

Afternoon bliss.

Have been cooped up in my office all day (at home), I have tons of work to catch up on after the holidays, so am trying to get back into some sort of discipline. It is hard! Although I love my work, I am a master of procrastination, and it is still summer, you know. So I hung out with my littles for a few hours in the afternoon, which was a lovely break from the screen. Freja had dressed up as a bride for the occasion, Falk and Ronja shot with bow and arrow in the field, Ulv was contently hanging on my back for the whole time. The cows came and said hi and we admired the sunflower patch and the vegetable garden. I noticed that Ulv's apple tree is the one carrying the most fruit of the four of them, could that be because of his placenta buried under it? There was a rain shower on the other side of the valley, but it didn't reach us. Falk ended up taking his clothes off and showering in the outside tap, which was the imperative to go in and put everyone in the bath. I realised it's been a while since I've bimbled around on the farm like this, I have been too busy. Must try to live at a slower pace. Must take time out to wander around even more.

Blueberries & a turning point.

I took my kids and went.