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.

Stocking up.

Although summer was a slow starter this year and the heat didn't come properly until July, the garden is giving us lots of goodies now. These days we are busy harvesting a lot of it to keep for wintertime: berries (redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, cherries, gooseberries), peas and beans and I'm making salve and oil from lavender, yarrow and calendula, so we have flowers hanging to dry or stored in jars. The tomatoes are ripening, the herbs are big and strong, and we have had many meals with kale, carrots and broccoli. The whole family works together to provide the food that will be our treasures in the freezer through the year, and it feels so good to stock up on all that goodness and get ready for winter. Farm life is the best thing ever.

(click on the images to see them big)

Little posers.

The waiting game.