About Amanda Orlando

Welcome! I am a freelance creator and presenter living in Toronto, Canada. Food is at the heart of everything I do. Growing up, food was such an important part of our family life and culture. Growing our own food was a tradition passed down from my Italian grandparents, whose backyard operated as a small subsistence farm. I was taught to make everything the old world way, the long way, from scratch, and to appreciate the process. I love history and vintage pieces. Food is how I express my culture, and my love for others. I have a strong sense of curiosity towards food and enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and methods to create delicious things.

I believe that there is no room for judgement in how we feed and nourish ourselves. Food should make us feel welcome and warm. I understand the importance of celiac disease, food allergy, and other dietary requirements (I have allergies myself) and pride myself on being adaptable to whatever specifications the client can throw my way.

Artistically, I like to infuse my shots with a bit of old school flare, and the food itself is always the focus. I strive to produce timeless shots that highlight the natural beauty of the ingredients. I like to work with linen and earthen-looking props that elicit the feeling of a casual family kitchen. For the most part, I work with natural daylight, and I like to play with shadows to add mood and emotion. I also create conceptual photo sets with a strong element of storytelling.

I love the art of performance and have experience hosting workshops, speaking at conferences, trade shows, public events, cooking segments, and webinars, and hosting live cooking demonstrations. I would be pleased to discuss hosting on behalf of your brand.

My home is my studio, but I am also available to work on location in Toronto, the GTA, or elsewhere. I have experience travelling to the US for conference and trade show appearances. You can find my cookbook, Everyone’s Welcome, anywhere books are sold.