In an ongoing effort to better understand where the food we eat comes from, how it’s grown and who grows it, I’ve been photographing the Wellfleet shellfishing community for the last six years.

The growers themselves have shown me how they catch spat or where they purchase seed. They’ve demonstrated the process of dipping and staking hats. They’ve explained how every bay and section of the harbor is its own microclimate, requiring them to figure out what works best on their grant. Oh, and they’ve trained me to never ever interrupt them when they’re counting. 

Perhaps most importantly, they’ve shared their love and their passion for what they do and where they do it. Here in Wellfleet. By the Tide.

The photographs shown in this exhibit strive to both represent and honor the men and women of Wellfleet who work so diligently to raise, grow and harvest such healthy food, and who care so much about the environment in which they do it.

By the Tide will be on exhibit for all of July at Wellfleet Preservation Hall with an opening and raw bar on Wednesday, July 16, from 5—7:30 and an artist talk and education evening on Friday, July 18, from 5—6:30.