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.

39.

39.

Maria Vatne

Dear Maria,

Another tour around the Sun, another year of life and struggle and love and wisdom and fun and tears and laughter. Like the year before, this year came with waves of hardship, a lot of things happening in your life, but I think it was more colourful, more fruitful this year, wasn't it? If one can call a divorce fruitful. Yes, I think one can. 

When you wrote to yourself on your last birthday, you were on the brink of separating from your husband. Things were dark. And they went on being dark, until they became lighter, and on it went, light and dark interchanging, taking turns, like sun and moon, day and night - and all the shades of light in between.
You worked hard this year. You found new places within and new ways to open up. A new softness and with that a new fearlessness. And now, right now, I think things are pretty smooth, aren't they? 

Your birthday and spring are so connected, this is a powerful time for you, it's like everything is aligned in a way that just makes things FLOW. Finally, they flow, after all the hiccups and bumps in the road. 

That feels pretty good, doesn't it.

I think you did good this year, woman. 
You are loved! Happy birthday!

Motherhood is bliss.

Motherhood is bliss.
On horseback.

On horseback.