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Regina Thompson Photography

Cleveland Strongsville Medina County Newborn and Family Photography

Family of Four!

Family of Four

proud big brother kissing his baby

Close up image of mom holding her babys small hand

Family session with newborn and big brother

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@reginathompsonphotography

reginathompsonphotography

God's grace in one tiny face💗

Not every session I photograph ends the way we hop

Not every session I photograph ends the way we hope.

Some of the most meaningful work I've done has been through remembrance photography — sitting with families in the NICU or in hospital rooms during their hardest days, giving them images to hold forever. My clinical background makes this work possible in a way I couldn't have done otherwise — it's quiet, sacred work, and it's changed how I show up for every single family I photograph, in the best and hardest moments alike.

I don't share those sessions publicly, out of respect for the families. But I wanted you to know this work exists, and that if you or someone you love is walking through a loss like this, you are not alone, and some photographers will show up for you.

If you know a family who could use this kind of support, please reach out — I'm happy to connect them with resources.

#remembrancephotography #NILMDTS #clevelandnewbornphotographer #givingback #valleycityohio

Session Spotlight: big sister was not sure about t

Session Spotlight: big sister was not sure about this whole "new baby" thing.

She crossed her arms for the first ten minutes. Refused to sit close. And then — slowly, on her own timeline, not ours — she reached out and touched her baby brother's hand. Her mom cried behind me. I nearly did too.

This is the fear I hear from so many parents expecting a second: "What if my oldest feels replaced?" It's a real and valid worry. But I've watched dozens of these moments unfold, and I promise — it clicks. Maybe not on your timeline, but it clicks.

"What should we wear for our family session?" Eas

"What should we wear for our family session?"

Easiest answer first — you don't need matching outfits. You need a coordinated color palette (think 2-3 tones that work together, not head-to-toe matching) and clothing that feels like you. If everyone is stiff and uncomfortable in something new, it shows in the photos.

My real advice: pick the outfit that makes YOU feel good first, and build everyone else's around it. Confidence photographs better than perfect coordination every time.

The maternity shoot that never happened. We plann

The maternity shoot that never happened.

We planned it all out — she was due to be induced within the week, so we squeezed in a "bump to baby" session before baby arrived. We met the day before to figure out her outfit (good thing I have a closet full of maternity gowns). Original plan was an outdoor park session, but the air quality from the wildfires was too poor, so we moved it to her family's home instead.

Then at 4:30am, I got a text: "My water broke — we're at the hospital!"

So the maternity session that never happened became my first Fresh 48 — photographing baby within her first 48 hours of life. I got to capture something even better than bump photos: her older siblings meeting her for the very first time. Those first-look reactions are pure gold, and completely unrepeatable.

Sometimes the best sessions are the ones that don't go as planned.

Nursery Notes: the first week home is not what the

Nursery Notes: the first week home is not what the movies show you.
Nobody tells you the quiet at 3am will feel like the whole world stopped. That you'll memorize every sound your baby makes before you even realize you're doing it. That the love doesn't feel like what you expected — it feels bigger, and a little disorienting.
You'll wonder if you're doing it right at least a dozen times a day. You are. These early, blurry, exhausted days are some of the ones you'll miss the most. Every single one of them.

I used to be the mom in the thick of it every Augu

I used to be the mom in the thick of it every August. Now I'm the grandmother who gets to just show up and love on them.

There's a version of me from years ago who spent every August in that chaotic rush of raising young kids — packed schedules, a to-do list that never emptied, never quite enough hours in a day. I don't live in that season anymore, and if I'm honest, I miss pieces of it even on the days I don't miss the chaos.

What I didn't expect about this new season is how much clearer it makes everything. I'm not rushing through my own family's milestones anymore — I get to be fully present for them. And it's changed how I show up for every family I photograph, too. I'm not just capturing a cute baby. I'm helping you hold onto a season that, I promise, moves faster than you think it will.

If there's one thing being a grandmother has taught me, it's this: the portraits you almost skip are the ones you'll treasure most in twenty years. Don't skip them.

Studio sessions are my most requested, but an in-h

Studio sessions are my most requested, but an in-home newborn session might be exactly right for your family. Here's how to know. 👇

1. Your home has beautiful natural light.
Big windows in your living room, a sun-filled nursery, a bedroom that glows in the morning — good light is everything. If you have it, we can absolutely work with it.

2. You want a documentary style session.
Less posed, more real life. The rumpled blankets, the way your baby looks in the bassinet you picked out, the quiet chaos of those first days home. Some of the most meaningful images I've ever taken looked exactly like that.

3. You want your home to be part of the story.
The nursery you spent months putting together. The chair where you've been up nursing at 3am. The dog who hasn't left your side since you came home. Those details are uniquely yours — and a studio can't replicate them.

Not sure which is right for you? Send me a message and we can talk through it together. 🤍

A little cake smash chaos, filmed right here in my

A little cake smash chaos, filmed right here in my backyard.

Between the garden, the grapevines climbing the fence, and the wooded edge of the property, this spot has quietly become one of my favorite places to shoot — soft natural light, real texture, and just enough wild to feel like an adventure instead of a stiff studio backdrop.

If you've been picturing your family's portraits somewhere that feels more "backyard afternoon" than "posed and perfect," this might be exactly the setting you're looking for.

My backyard is open for sessions — cake smashes included.

The light in your living room. The way your baby f

The light in your living room. The way your baby fits perfectly in your arms. The heavenly baby smell (if you know, you know.) And the quiet.. that *somehow* exists, even in the middle of everything new and overwhelming and beautiful.
This is why I do this. 🤍

If you're expecting and thinking about an in-home session, head to the link in my bio to book. 📸

"Is it actually safe to pose a newborn like that?"

"Is it actually safe to pose a newborn like that?"

I was a pediatric physical therapist before I was a newborn photographer — this question matters to me as much as it matters to you.

Those curled-up, chin-on-hands poses work because of biology, not because babies are flexible. In the first couple weeks, babies are still curled into the same tucked position they held in the womb — active flexor tone built up from being compressed against the uterine wall late in pregnancy. That fetal curl really is their most natural, comfortable shape right now.

That window closes fast. Within a few weeks babies straighten out, and the curl softens for good — one reason timing a newborn session early matters.

Here's the nuance I care about most: sleep can quiet a newborn's protective reflexes. A PT research review in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science flags this directly — because sleep reduces those protective responses, certain end-range poses can become risky without a trained eye.

There's also little direct research on how these poses affect a developing hip, and some newborns have unrecognized hip instability. So poses should never be forced or held past a baby's natural comfort.

Every "floating" or dramatically curled shot you see from me is either a composite (baby fully supported the whole time, hands removed digitally after), baby nestled safely in a parent's lap, or a prop built to hold their weight. No newborn is ever left unsupported.

My PT background trained me to read a baby's body the entire session — color, breathing, comfort, tone — not just compose a pretty picture. If I ever see a cue that baby's uncomfortable, we stop and adjust. No exceptions.

Safe and gentle isn't a tagline. It's the standard I was trained to hold long before I picked up a camera.

💬 Questions about a session? Send me a DM.

#newbornposingsafety #safenewbornphotography #pediatricphysicaltherapist #clevelandnewbornphotographer #medinacountyphotographer #newbornphotography

Moro Reflex Pt. 4 - This one might surprise you! 😄

Moro Reflex Pt. 4 - This one might surprise you! 😄
Did you know, adults still have the Moro reflex... they just don't cry about it anymore?!

The adult version is called the Strauss reflex — and you do it every time you hear a loud noise in the dark and freeze for a second before saying "what was that?"

Same reflex. Just with a little more executive functioning!

We're not known for much around here in Valley Cit

We're not known for much around here in Valley City, Ohio... but we ARE the Frog Jump Capital of Ohio, and we wear that title proudly. 🐸

It may be a small town, but every summer Valley City comes alive for one of my favorite weekends of the year—the 91st Annual Valley City Street Fair!

For more than 90 years, this hometown tradition has brought families together to support our amazing fire department with great food, games, bingo, raffles, live entertainment, and plenty of small-town fun.

And then there's the frogs...

Back in 1962, a few local residents wanted something unique to celebrate the township's anniversary. Inspired by Mark Twain's famous jumping frog story, they started a frog jumping contest. It became so popular that Ohio officially recognized Valley City as home to the State Frog Jump Championship! Today, hundreds of frogs (and thousands of spectators!) continue the tradition each year.

I love this event because it reminds me why I chose to build my photography business here. It's the laughter between carnival games, kids chasing frogs, grandparents visiting with neighbors, and families making memories together. Those are the moments that tell the story of a community.

📸 I'll be walking around the fair with my camera this year. If you see me, please stop and say hello! I always enjoy meeting new families and catching up with past clients.

If you've been thinking about updating your family portraits or welcoming a new baby soon, I'd love to chat. My studio is right here in Valley City, and I serve families throughout Medina County and Northeast Ohio.

I hope to see you August 14–16! ❤️

#ValleyCityOhio #ValleyCityStreetFair #FrogJumpCapital #MedinaCountyOhio #OhioFamilies #NortheastOhio #FamilyPhotographer #NewbornPhotographer #OhioPhotographer #SupportLocal #SmallTownOhio #CommunityMatters

Parents.. I need your help! If you could choose

Some sessions just stay with you. 🤍 This mama al

Some sessions just stay with you. 🤍

This mama almost didn't do maternity photos..

I'm so glad she changed her mind!

Getting to photograph her and her husband before their twin boys arrived — and then again after — was one of those full circle moments that reminds me exactly why I love this work. If you're on the fence about maternity photos, let this be your sign!

Learn more about my newborn session at the link in bio or by sending a dm. I can't wait to meet you!

Moro Reflex Pt. 3 -- the importance of having a sp

Moro Reflex Pt. 3 -- the importance of having a spotter!

Safety is never an afterthought in my sessions. It's the whole foundation.
This is exactly how we protect babies during a shoot, and why there is always a spotter nearby, no matter how peacefully they're sleeping!

If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the camera, this is it!

Ready to book your newborn session with a photographer you can trust? Inquire at the link in bio. 💓

#westlakeohio #avonohio #brecksvilleohio #clevelandwestside #clevelandphotographer #ohionewbornphotographer #northeastohiophotographer #newborntips #mororeflex

The tiny details you’ll forget by month two 👉 Swip

The tiny details you’ll forget by month two 👉 Swipe →

Those curled fingers that haven’t uncurled yet.
The wrinkled feet that spent nine months tucked inside you.
The soft hair and peaceful sleepy profiles you’ll swear you’ll remember.

Parents always tell me the same thing when they see these images:
“I forgot they were ever this small.”

You will forget — not because you don’t love every stage, but because life moves so fast.

That’s exactly why these photos matter.

If you’re expecting soon, let’s capture these fleeting newborn moments before they change.

DM me “DETAILS” for current availability.

#ClevelandNewbornPhotographer #NewbornDetails #TinyToes #NortheastOhioFamilies #newbornphotographernearme

Becoming a Mother is one of the most vulnerable mo

Becoming a Mother is one of the most vulnerable moments of our lives.

Not just the birth, though that is its own kind of surrender, too.. But the days and months after. The moments when you're not sure you're doing it right. When you're so full of love it almost scares you. When someone asks how the baby is doing and you want to say "great, but what about me?"

Vulnerability in motherhood looks like:

-Asking for help, and meaning it
-Admitting you're exhausted, even if you have a bit more in the tank
- Loving someone so completely that every emotion takes over
- Becoming softer and stronger at the same time
- Not recognizing yourself in the mirror, and slowly learning to love who you're becoming

.

You are allowed to feel all of it. The joy and the grief of the person you were before. The pride and the doubt. The love and the overwhelming weight of it.

Both things are true. And both things make you human. 🤍

— Regina

Instagram post 18464076778118798

Instagram post 18464076778118798

What's growing in the studio... 🌿🍅 Right now, it'

What's growing in the studio... 🌿🍅

Right now, it's not just babies and families.

The garden is overflowing with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, and more vegetables than we can eat. The grapevine has completely taken over its fence, the apple trees are heavy with fruit, and the blackberry canes are bursting.

It's a little chaotic... in the very best way.

Gardening reminds me so much of photographing families. You plant the seeds, nurture them through every season, and before you know it, those tiny beginnings have grown into something beautiful.

That's one of my favorite parts of this job—watching families come back year after year as babies become toddlers, toddlers become big siblings, and memories grow right alongside them.

Lately, I've been dreaming about what's next. I'm hoping that by this time next year, this backyard will be home to a blooming lavender field—a peaceful place for family, maternity, and children's sessions right here at the studio.

Sometimes the smallest ideas grow into something extraordinary.

If you'd like to follow along as this dream takes shape (and hopefully watch the lavender go in this fall!), stay tuned. I can't wait to share the journey with you. 💜

#ValleyCityOhio #MedinaCountyOhio #NortheastOhioPhotographer #FamilyPhotographer #NewbornPhotographer #MomentsOfYouPhotography #GardenToStudio #GrowingFamilies #LavenderField #OhioMoms #FamilyPhotography #BackyardStudio

Is there anything better than getting outside with

Is there anything better than getting outside with the people you love?

It's been a busy and fun summer so far for the Thompson crew! We're soaking up the last of the sunshine before summer comes to a close. I'd love to hear what you and your family have been up to. Any summer bucket list activities or special events? Let me know in the comments!

Wishing you an incredible weekend, friends! ☀️

- Regina

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