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.

Saturday.

We had the most beautiful weather today, mist shifting with sun shifting with mist again. Such gorgeous light. Finally we were all home at the same time during the daylight hours, so we had the chance to be together outside and make the horses' grave nice. We put hay in a circle where they are, and stones in a medicine wheel formation, and the trees we're planting will be in the middle of it.

I still can't get my head around the fact that they are both under there, my beautiful horses. We miss them. There's a screeching silence, a gaping hole on the farm now they're not here. An absence very much felt. Still, today I felt more at peace with it than I have before. Like the shock of it has subsided a bit.

And we had a lovely day, and I have felt that tingle again slightly, that blissful ache in my chest telling me that I'm on the right track. That I'm on a journey where my heart walks beside me, happily holding my hand and agreeing on the destination.

Thankful.

Waves.