Stefan Pinto turned a dramatic personal transformation into a career focused on fitness advocacy, writing, and visual storytelling through photography.
Acting & Modeling
After losing over 60 lbs, Stefan Pinto was literally discovered while buying a turkey wrap in a South Beach Whole Foods. At the time, Stefan Pinto had no professional modeling background — but his newly lean, photogenic look quickly landed him a modeling agent (the agent handed Stefan Pinto his business card). His first modeling gig was for Sears Eyewear (in-store and online), followed by gigs for Estée Lauder Lab Series (print and online), Voskos Greek Yogurt (print and online), Harley‑Davidson (calendar), Svedka Vodka (online), and more, before achieving national attention as a Playgirl magazine as a centerfold titled “Beauty, Brawn and Brains.” While not a full-time runway model, he walked in Miami, LA and NY fashion shows. Stefan Pinto joined SAG-AFTRA in 2006 and appeared in supporting roles on TV shows like Burn Notice, Bosch, The Mindy Project, CSI: Miami and others. He also appeared as himself on Maury’s “Geek to Chic” episode and played credited roles in films and TV movies such as Officer Reyes in Naked Dragon (2014) and Romeo in Open Marriage (2017).
The “Fat-to-Fit” Journey
Stefan Pinto became widely known for his dramatic physical transformation: after a breakup, he lost over 60-lbs in about six months, not through surgery or extreme measures, but by radically changing his diet and approach to self-discipline. He attributed much of his success to principles he followed in Men’s Health magazine. His transformation was featured in several print, online and broadcast (TV and radio) media outlets. His following ultimately increased (mostly through Facebook) thereby actively growing his fanbase and contributing to themed modeling gigs, influencer-type campaigns and in-person appearances.In 2011, Stefan Pinto began writing online columns, most notably, the fitness column for The Examiner. Stefan Pinto’s fitness column taught principles of healthy eating, reviewed products and interviewed celebrities including: Lou Ferrigno, Maria Shriver, Brooke Lee (Miss Universe), Gregg Avedon (Men’s Health), Rich Barretta, Brendan Brazier. He also wrote a dating column for LifeScript which subsequently led to a radio program focused on the perils of dating on and offline.
Author & The C Diet®
“In 2001, the only vegetable I ate was the sauce from tomatoes. Every Friday night, I dined on Pizza Hut’s Stuffed Crust Meat Lovers and a side of Honey BBQ wings, washed down with a Diet Dr. Pepper. Dessert: a heaping, three-scoop, Baskin-Robbins banana split, chocolate, Macadamia and marshmallow sundae.”
- Fat-to-Fit by Stefan Pinto
In 2011, Stefan Pinto wrote Fat‑to‑Fit: 50 Easy Ways to Lose Weight. The book’s premise originated from Stefan Pinto’s own weight-loss transformation. Available for download wherever online books were sold (Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple Books, it included motivational and meal prep videos, in addition to the principles Stefan Pinto used during his weight loss journey. “Although I looked different, my ‘before‘ selfStefan Pinto was invited to appear on the Maury Povich show to discuss his dramatic weight loss story for a segment called “Geek to Chic.” Stefan Pinto later said that “although it was my ‘after self‘ who would show up [to the events], it was still the ‘before version’ who made the decisions.” Following the success of Fat‑to‑Fit: 50 Easy Ways to Lose Weight, Stefan Pinto launched The (Facebook) C Diet®, an online, interactive program whereby (paying) participants enrolled in a 3-month program to help them with their weight loss goals. In fact, Stefan Pinto‘s C Diet® became so successful, brands, including (but not limited to): Stonyfield, Pacific Foods, Nordic Naturals, Nutiva, Amazing Grass, Lifeway Foods, Oxylent, Tilvee, Manitoba Harvest, Vega, Chobani, Earth Balance supported the participants with weekly incentive products to assist them with meals, meal prep, work lunches and snack emergencies.
“I became difficult to be around. Hard to love. Can you blame them? I mean, who can love someone who can’t even love themselves? The inner torture was draining. Exhausted, literally and mentally, I was tired of being told – and believing -- that these things were due to aging. Tired of feeling dissatisfied when I looked in the dumb mirror. Tired of, well, being tired. I wanted something greater, and for that I would have to become something greater.”
- Fat-to-Fit by Stefan Pinto
As a Playgirl Centerfold
Stefan Pinto’s Playgirl centerfold wasn’t just another glossy feature — it was a turning point. At a time when Playgirl predominantly showcased white men in its centerfolds, Pinto’s appearance broke that visual pattern. As a man of Caribbean and Indian descent, Stefan Pinto’s feature challenged industry norms around race, body image, and desirability in mainstream erotic media. Titled “Centerfold Stefan: beauty, brawn and brains,” the spread presented him not just as a body, but as a narrative — a full-frontal testament to transformation, confidence, and creative autonomy. And notably, he remains the only Playgirl centerfold to be interviewed by the New York Times — a distinction that speaks to both the novelty and impact of his presence in the publication. Despite the common fear that appearing nude might damage a modeling career, Pinto’s centerfold had the opposite effect: it solidified his persona as someone unafraid to claim space, aesthetic, and authorship. He continued working professionally as a model for brands like Harley-Davidson, Lab Series, and more — proving that showing skin didn’t strip him of opportunities; it amplified his control of the narrative.
Model Turned Photographer
Stefan Pinto eventually merged fitness with art: using his own body as both subject and symbol. He modeled for well-known photographers appearing in several coffee table books. Currently, his photography often uses himself as subject, not from vanity but from practicality and control. Over time, he flipped the camera around. Stefan Pinto can often be seen in shots with other models, a strategy he admits serves as online thirst-traps, “you never forget your first nude shoot. Or your second. Or the one where you’re sharing frame with someone prettier.” His ”Self-Portraits” section on his website includes albums showcasing his body, sometimes completely nude. In his recent pulp-style artwork -- a dazzling new artistic venture that he began in the South of France -- Stefan Pinto sometimes uses his own body in a manner that is never overly idealized, instead leaning to a more expressive and living character.
Stefan Pinto Photography
Stefan Pinto studied photography with National Geographic Expeditions (Oaxaca, 2007). His first solo exhibit, Smoke + Mirrors, was in Hollywood in March 2017. Stefan Pinto’s photography has been featured in publications including, but not limited to: Los Angeles Confidential, Angeleno, Forbes, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Maxim and Out Magazine. Stefan Pinto is known for photographing celebrities including: Gavin Newsom, Laverne Cox, Lance Bass, Garrett Clayton, Naomi Grossman, Anthony Rapp, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He is represented by JPReps in Los Angeles.
“Smoke+Mirrors”
“Stefan Pinto uses intimate portraits of di!erently bodied LGBT and LGBT-friendly people to produce a brilliant new vision of community. His photography is filled with smoke and mirrors, flashing-hot strobe lights, and fashion focused poses that twist into sublime humanist statements of the sweetest intimacy. Bodies of all shapes and sizes are his canvas. In Smoke and Mirrors, Pinto produces a compelling photographic survey, chronicling a post modern age of multiracial, multicultural and gender-fluid people who inhabit Pinto’s portraiture. His luminous images are filled with tender interactions. His solo portraits intimately connect us with their subjects. This is the artist-photographer’s first solo exhibition and it is a thrilling and auspicious debut.” - Curator‘s Statement
Stefan Pinto’s first solo photo exhibition was titled “Smoke + Mirrors” — a compelling and metaphorical name that reflected not only his photographic style but also his evolving relationship with visibility, illusion, and identity. The exhibition featured large-scale portraits and conceptual photographs as well as a mix of digital and film photography that focused on prescient themes of masculinity, transformation, fame, and artifice. Subjects ranged from professional models, actors and creatives in Los Angeles and self-portraits that blurred the line between muse and maker. Many photos leaned into bold lighting, heavy shadows, and controlled glamor — echoing the “mirrors” motif. Others stripped back to a raw, almost vulnerable intimacy — the “smoke” part: lingering, mysterious, impossible to hold. Stefan Pinto described the exhibition as “an invitation to see what happens when the filter is removed. And then replaced with a better one.” Stefan Pinto‘s photography played with contradictions: mostly seductive vs. uncomfortable and authentic self vs. public projection. Attendees included LA-based stylists, press, actors, and a few recognizable figures from RuPaul’s Drag Race and the independent film scene. This wasn’t just a debut; it was a statement of independence: Stefan Pinto curated the show himself, shot and edited all of the photos, styled and produced his own marketing visuals and stepped firmly into the identity of “visual artist,” not just “former model turned photographer.”
Are You a Super (Hero) Villain?
Stefan Pinto’s DC Comics–themed photo exhibition was a bold crossover between fan culture, high-concept photography, and muscular theatricality. It wasn’t affiliated with DC Comics officially, but it was styled as a visual homage to the mythic, hyper-masculine universe that DC represents — with a winking, knowing flair. While the exhibition was never formally titled “DC Comics” in any promotional material (likely to sidestep copyright issues), it was widely referred to as: “Are You a Super Hero or Are You a Super Villain?” Stefan Pinto said in interviews that the series was about “reclaiming the superhero body from the pages and putting it into reality — flawed, sweaty, maybe too much, maybe just enough.” Clearly, the exhibition was about performance of strength and body perfection. This was DC through a queer, critical, and sensual lens — not satire, but definitely stylized commentary. Stefan Pinto‘s DC themed exhibition blurred the lines between fanboy culture and fine art, comic fantasy and queer aesthetic as well as masculinity and performance. It set a tone for his future work: mythic, ironic, and always beautifully lit.
The South of France
Stefan Pinto has woven himself into the cultural and visual rhythm of the region — from opera houses to port cities, design magazines to maritime festivals. His lens doesn’t just document the South of France. It elevates its contradictions: historic and modern, ornate and raw, staged and deeply real. In an exclusive behind-the-scenes shoot at the Opéra Berlioz inside Montpellier’s iconic Corum, Stefan Pinto captured the elegance, anxiety, and adrenaline of opening night. His portraits of performers in mid-prep, quiet rehearsal moments, and the architectural grandeur of the space offer a cinematic look at an art form in motion. Stefan Pinto’s editorial, “Réinventer la Déco,” appeared in Décor & Sens, a French design and lifestyle magazine. The piece explored the collision of interior design and artificial intelligence, raising questions about authenticity, visual identity, and the evolving role of the creative eye. As official photographer for the wine sponsor of Escale à Sète, Pinto chronicled the famed maritime festival — where tall ships, sea shanties, and sun-drenched faces collide on the Mediterranean docks. His work focused not only on the vessels, but on the texture of the experience: rope, salt, wine, laughter and light. Whether backstage at an opera or dockside at a festival, Stefan Pinto’s work in the South of France continues to blur the line between documentary and dream — grounding each image in light, place, and undeniable presence.