During a period of darkness and deep personal turmoil, Dutch photographer and mother of six Marjolein Martinot found herself disoriented, searching to regain a sense of self. Each evening, she found refuge in nature and walked, camera in hand, to a nearby river in the south of France. There, she photographed the serene beauty of her surroundings in the golden light of the day's end and connected with the animals and families she encountered by the water: children jumping, splashing, climbing and swinging among the trees.
 
What began as a ritual of aimless walks and photographs eventually became a kind of visual diary, a quiet meditation on healing and transformation. The water, always moving and unpredictable, reflected her own emotional state, while the families she met, however briefly, represented the warmth and sense of belonging she sought.
 
Through these intimate, spontaneous moments—children suspended mid-leap, reflections on the water catching the last light, trees leaning towards the river and horses galloping at dusk—Martinot gradually rebuilt a new sense of self. Although deeply personal, her photographs transcend autobiography and offer a universal reflection on resilience, human connections and the subtle, almost magical beauty of everyday life.