Summer 2013 Pembrokeshire, the sun is shining and I’m visiting my mum and staying in my favourite location.  The Newport Links with its perfect views across the golf course to Newport Beach.

The place I loved as a girl and my first interaction with a truly amazing creature.  I was probably about eight years old.  It was late in the afternoon and the hot sand under my feet had nicely warmed the sea, which was creeping up the beach leaving only the soft powdery sand on show.  I was floating around in the shallow water when this little head popped up and was just as interested in me as I was in it.

This wonderful experience was my first introduction to a seal, and I was in love.  I remember its face like it was yesterday and treasured the fact it just wanted to play.  Being young, fearless and just loving the new friend I’d made, my excitement turned to calm.  I felt myself holding my breath while thinking, if I don’t make a sound maybe, just maybe, the seal who looked quite young would stay awhile.  We looked at each other, which made it feel like time stood still and then to my disappointment the little head disappeared and my heart sunk.

I looked everywhere eagerly hoping for another glimpse and a chance to capture the magic for a little while longer.  Still keeping calm so not to scare my new friend, I waited and waited.  After what felt like ages but really was only five minutes, there was my little friend right in front of me again, those beautiful eyes looking at me.  First there was quite a distance but then to my surprise like before the head popped up right next to me and just looked.

There it was, I was in love with wildlife, of course I didn’t realise at the time.  When you’re eight it’s just an exciting thing to tell mum and dad.  I still love that memory, and it has gone on to inspire my photography.

I always get excited at the chance to get close to wildlife in their natural habitat and always have a soft spot for seals and their cousins who will feature in later blogs, but this story starts in Preseli Mountains, Pembrokeshire.

The Preseli Mountains have always been a favourite place of mine and if you ever came to visit my family when I was growing up, it would be top of the list as a day out combined with a good pub lunch.  This is a happy memory and has made an already beautiful place even more special.  So now when I visit Wales, I will always take a detour across the mountains. I never get board of the rolling hills, sheep, yellow gorse and purple heather, as the road winds and twists round the hills.  Memories flood back of my dad teaching me to drive, and saying if you can drive here, you’ll be able to drive anywhere.  So, no trip to Wales would be complete without a visit to this special place and this was the perfect time to capture images that compliment my memories.

The summer of 2013 with its long warm days was perfect for a trip to Wales and especially the Preseli Mountains.  More often than not a visit to the mountains is blustery and with the wind chill very fresh.  However, this year with a heat wave making the locals complain about the warmth the mountains were the perfect place to relax and take in the view.

A gentle warm breeze put the spring in the step of a small foal, which started off shy hiding behind his mum.  Out for a relaxing day, I just let things unfold in front of me.  Before I knew it mum and baby where being affectionate.

The foal then bounced off to play with a Miniature Shetland Pony, who seemed to have taken on the role of big sister or auntie.  Happy to play till it was time to calm things down after a little nip from an over excited foal.  It was clear these two definitely enjoyed the extended family relationship.

Now with confidence growing a new challenge presented itself, mum had crossed the road, and it was the foals turn next.  Although the mountains are very quiet, it seems when you are plucking up the courage to cross the road even the odd car is unsettling.

Just after this shot the foal joined his mum on the other side of the road and carried on up the mountain.  I continued watch them for a while before my mum and I went back to her house.  Later that week I couldn’t resist popping back to see what else caught my eye and I saw some wild horses who were losing their hair, strangely beautiful in that rustic shabby way, see the video.

The Preseli Mountains (as I like to call them) from above