"Why does she have to choose": Photographer captures young girls as athletes and princesses

(FOX 29) - An Alabama photographer is taking on gender stereotypes in a new photo series that has captured the internet's attention.

Heather Mitchell, of HMP Couture Imagery, was attending her 8-year-old daughter's softball practice when the inspiration hit.

"One of the moms told me [my daughter] was not athletic — that she was a girly girl," Mitchell said. "I couldn't sleep that night. All I could think was, 'Why does she have to choose?'"

That's when Mitchell decided to capture her daughter in full princess and softball gear.

Commenters were quick to identify with the pressure of conforming to preconceived notions of gender identity.

When posting her photo series, Mitchell left the world a simple message: "Because you can do it all."