Shutterbug mom recreates iconic female portraits for daughter’s fifth birthday

Some five-year-old girls want nothing more than to dress up like a princess for their birthday.

Jaime Moore’s daughter is not one of those girls – at least not on her mother’s watch.

Instead, the Ottawa-born and Texas-based photographer decided to style and photograph Emma as five influential and historically important women.

“My daughter wasn't born into royalty,” the mother-of-two writes in a post on her website. “But she was born into a country where she can now vote, become a doctor, a pilot, an astronaut, or even President if she wants and that's what REALLY matters.”

The project, aptly entitled “Not Just a Girl” is as much about Moore as her child. From her words it’s clear that the Canadian woman is adamant that her daughter grow up admiring strong, trailblazing females.

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"I wanted her to know the value of these amazing women who had gone against everything so she can now have everything," she adds.

That doesn't mean she looks down on Disney princesses and the girls who love them. On the contrary, she writes of her love for their "beautiful dresses, perfect hair, gorgeous voices" and "ideal love stories" that it's hard not to get swept up in, especially when you're young.

But with the exception of Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, most of these young Disney fans will have a much better shot at becoming a doctor, an artist or even a politician than a Queen-to-be.

So to encourage this cultural shift, Moore chose five women to correspond with Emma’s age, but acknowledged there are countless incredible role models that she could have just as easily selected.

She then styled Emma to recreate iconic photos of Amelia Earhart, Coco Chanel, scientist Jane Gooddall, civil rights activist and ultimate suffragette Susan B. Anthony and Helen Keller. She then placed the black-and-white stills of Emma side by side with the original portraits.

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Each image comes with an inspiring quotation from the woman portrayed.

The result is both striking – and completely adorable. Emma is a natural in front of the camera and does a terrific job mimicking poses and expressions while maintaining her own spirit.

As a grand finale, Moore included a duo of colour photos that show Emma posing with a pin that reads: “Emma for president 2044.” The extra image caps off Moore’s message that girls need to shrug off obstacles – patriarchal and otherwise – and aim for whatever ambition they wish.

What do you think of the project? Do we need more of this princess alternative in our mainstream culture or should girls be allowed to indulge, carte blanche, in their Cinderella dreams?