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.

Girls' weekend.

Maria Vatne

Mr. Payne and the littles have been to England to visit family this weekend, so Ronja and I have ruled the farm in solitude. We've handled sheep who got stuck, horses who got out of their box at night and had a party in the barn, a crazy bull calf, snow, sleet and ice, hard work from morning 'till night. And in between, we have had dinners in front of the tv, watched the three Narnia movies, eaten too much ice cream and gone to bed too late for our own good. And Ronja danced her first hip hop show on Saturday! 

It's been lovely to have my big girl to myself for a few days, and now that they're all safely back (and have had a wonderful time, too), it's all good.

Hope you had a good one, too!

Xxx

Two years old: Wild and free.

And then, winter came.