Fistral: Waves and wanderlust
After a professional surfing career, Evie Johnstone transitioned into a career in photography, working with female surf and lifestyle brands around the world – and at her home in Fistral.
“We learnt to surf when we were kids. Probably bodyboarding when we were about four. Dad surfed so he pushed us into surfing and we just spent all our childhood days doing that and we loved it. I was obsessed with being in the sea,” says Evie. “As a kid all I wanted to be was a professional surfer.”
That dream took Evie to Costa Rica at 17, with no plan and barely any money. It turned out to be life-changing.
“The surf was so unbelievably consistent. I was surfing every day in a bikini…The water was clean. It was magical and I totally fell in love with the place. I surfed every day and that’s when I got better quite quickly.”
Within a few years, she was competing on the Latin American Pro circuit and finding ways to bring other women into the water with her. “I had an all-girls surf camp where I did road trips around Costa Rica and took women surfing. I ran that for five or six years… then the surf school and then my career as a professional surfer.”
“The travel stuff excites me because there’s new experiences – new smells, new cultures, new faces…so you’re having all your senses pushed which is really fun.”
She returned to the UK and won the UK Pro Surf Tour in 2012, but eventually, the competitive side of surfing lost its shine. “It wasn’t playful, it wasn’t creative. It was strict and made me anxious… I think I kind of had this realisation that the surf life I loved wasn’t necessarily the contest side or being on the pro side.”
A NEW DIRECTION
Alongside her surfing life, Evie had another passion simmering in the background: photography. She studied it at school with a particular love for film photography and darkroom work. Although she didn’t pursue it right away, the creative pull never faded. Nor did her love for travel.
“I think my style has always been led by shooting in kind of trickier light conditions, but I love that.”
“The travel stuff excites me because there’s new experiences – new smells, new cultures, new faces,” she says. “You’re always slightly on edge so you’re having all your senses pushed which is really fun.”
Photography became the perfect way to stay immersed in the lifestyle she loved – surfing, travelling, and working alongside women. “I choose where I want to go based on a surfer that I really want to shoot. I’ll travel to where she’s surfing, spend a month there and surf and shoot her.”
That connection to women is central to Evie’s creative process. “I’ve spent all my life shooting women. I just love women, I love their energy, how they look. I love watching women surf, it’s my favourite thing,” she says.
“When you surf around the world you can fit in, but there’s nothing like coming [home]. The feeling here is so welcoming and warm; it’s the best.”
Evie’s passion for visual storytelling foregrounding women flows through her work – from editorial features and fashion shoots to surf and skate lifestyle photography and brand collaborations. “I’m still doing bits with SurfGirl magazine. I do travel articles for them. I normally go to pretty cool places and meet up with pretty cool surfer girls too”. Evie is also the first female ambassador for beach footwear and clothing brand Reef.
No place like home
Evie’s work has taken her to South Africa, Morocco, the Philippines and across Europe, but back home at Fistral is where she forged her unique visual style.
“One day it could be really dark and stormy and the next day it could be the clearest day. You never really know what you’re going to get which makes [it] really hard work… But the golden hour in winter is incredible and the low-hanging sun creates a look and a vibe that you don’t really get anywhere else in the world.”
Her work, often characterised by a soft, glowing, grainy texture, was born from working in these unpredictable conditions. “I think my style has always been led by shooting in kind of trickier light conditions, but I love that.”
More than just the light, it’s the people that make Fistral an important place for Evie. “For me, Fistral is special because of family. Having my family here and my core friendship group. I think when you travel a lot there’s nothing like coming home and feeling home,” she says. “I love jumping off the rocks and paddling out and seeing all my friends and knowing everyone in the water. Everyone is whooping each other and sharing stories and laughing.”
“When you surf around the world you can fit in, but there’s nothing like coming [home]. The feeling here is so welcoming and warm; it’s the best.”
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