‘I hope parents won’t be judged for drinking a glass of wine’: María Moldes’ best phone photo | Photography

Spanish photographer María Moldes and her partner were enjoying a meal after a day on a beach in Benidorm when she spotted two children sleeping on the nearby table.

“It was hot and crowded, the ceiling fans were on and people were chatting, but these kids were sleeping soundly. I noticed the contrast in their hair color against the cheap tablecloth, the matching pads between parent and child, their posture. The parents were from overseas, but they smiled and nodded when I went to take the picture.

Moldes, who describes his photos as “always containing an element of irony or social criticism”, saw an opportunity to “confront two different ways of experiencing leisure – when you are a child and when you are an adult.

“While kids get bored doing grown-up stuff, like sitting at a restaurant table, their parents are finally enjoying the time when their kids are quiet.”

She insists that there is no disapproval directed at parents for drinking in the presence of their children. “I hope that the parents will not be judged for drinking a glass of wine in front of the children! The criticism is more about how we adults identify alcohol with our moments of relaxation.

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The photo was taken in 2017, when mobile photography seemed like a “fresher” medium for Moldes. “I like discretion and subtlety. This allows it to go unnoticed. »