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.

Time to act.

Love + vegetables
"Mrs. Payne", "interior"
It's been going on long enough.
This neglecting of my physical self must come to an end.
Even though I regard myself as an artist, a genius, a thinker, someone who is detached from her earthly body and lives in spirit, I have come to realize that I have to get on the floor and do some work. (You heard the irony in that last sentence, right?)
So now, it's boot camp for life: Every morning I chase the rest of my family out of the bedroom, put on a morning raga (yes, I do) and do the yoga. It's quite nice, starting the day like that, with the curtains open and the light slowly coming in through the windows.
Think I might get used to it.
Untitled

Tomorrow they might all be gone.

Migration.