Stephanie Augello

Stephanie Augello —
“Tides of Labor”

Stephanie Augello’s project documents
Aphrodite Oysters, founded by Krista Tripp, a lifelong Mainer from Rockland. Her work captures the daily rhythms of oyster farming and the deep connection between the community and the sea.

Krista Tripp, owner of Aphrodite Oysters, drives her boat on the Lower Weskeag River near South Thomaston, Maine on Aug. 18, 2025. Tripp is a 4th generation lobster hauler who launched her oyster business in 2017.
Blake Falcon and Nick Adkins, employees of Aphrodite Oysters, outfit themselves in waders to check the oyster lines on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 19, 2025.
Blake Falcon and Nick Adkins check the tag on a bag of oysters while making deliveries along Route 1 in Maine on Aug. 20, 2025. 
A bucket of cocktail oysters sits on the Aphrodite Oysters float on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 19, 2025.
Black Falcon and Krista Tripp inspect the cages on her oyster farm on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025.
Nick Adkins and Blake Falcon remove seaweed from oyster cages on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug.19, 2025.
Blake Falcon, Nick Adkins and Krista Tripp clean and sort oysters on Tripp’s oyster farm on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025.
Aiden Falcon, Nick Adkins and Blake Falcon deliver oysters at a stop along Route 1 in Maine on Aug. 20, 2025.
Nick Adkins and Blake Falcon remove water from the boat before heading to work on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025.
Krista Tripp dumps a cage of oysters for cleaning and sorting on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025.
Nick Adkins, Krista Tripp and Blake Falcon dock in South Thomaston, Maine after a morning of working on the oyster farm on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025.
The Keag Store in South Thomaston, Maine at dawn on Aug. 20, 2025. Pronounced “gig,” the store is a popular meeting space for local marine workers.
Aiden Falcon, Blake Falcon and their niece Novi convene at the Falcon family home in Waldoboro, Maine on Aug. 20, 2025.
Nick Adkins sorts oysters on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 19, 2025.
Blake Falcon, Krista Tripp and Nick Adkins sort and clean oysters on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 18, 2025. It is Adkins’ first day on the job, and Tripp is training him on how to properly inspect and categorize oysters. 
Nick Adkins and Blake Falcon paddle out to their motorboat on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 20, 2025.
After completing oyster deliveries, Aiden Falcon, Nick Adkins and Blake Falcon unload gear at Aphrodite Oysters in South Thomaston, Maine on Aug. 20, 2025.

Nick Adkins and Blake Adkins paddle a dinghy on the Lower Weskeag River on Aug. 19. 2025.

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