Colorado credit union members’ bank cards are getting a touch of local flair, thanks to area photographer Colleen Pinski.
Ent Credit Union has been rolling out its new debit cards with EMV chip technology to members who have an Ent checking account. The chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again, which makes transactions extremely difficult to copy or counterfeit. Along with the new technology inside the card, Ent decided to give the cards a new look.
Enter Pinski, a Liberty High School and Pikes Peak Community College graduate. Pinksi has worked as a professional photographer for five years, though she has been interested in photography since she was a little girl. Pinski, who resides in Falcon and is an Ent member, was referred to Ent’s marketing staff to provide photos for their new cards.
“We pride ourselves on our local member service and support of the communities where our members live, work, and play,” said Ent’s director of marketing Brian Rowedder.
“When the opportunity presented itself to redesign our debit card portfolio, we naturally gravitated toward backgrounds that would allow our members to show their ‘local pride’ visually through some of the most beautiful and breathtaking scenery that is Colorado.
“Colleen was recommended to us by a local vendor that we utilize for video production work,” Rowedder continued. “The fact that she was local talent and also an Ent member were both contributing factors to our ultimate decision to work with her on this project, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”Pinski started her career in video production, an arena she credits for helping her achieve success with photography.
“After college, I went into video production as an editor and art director,” she said. “Through that, I learned a lot about lighting, composition and storytelling. I then turned my video passion toward photography and found I could create a unique style with still photos using my video background.”
With her background in video production, Pinski said she is better able to tell a story about a specific moment through a single image. “I strive to capture a particular moment at its best and most beautiful,” she said.
She did exactly that with the various photos she created for the new Ent cards, including images of landmarks in the Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Denver primary market communities that Ent services. Ent used photographs of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods for the Colorado Springs area, the Riverwalk for Pueblo, and nighttime shots of the Denver skyline and capitol building for the mile-high city.
Pinski’s other card images include the Colorado state flag, Pueblo chili peppers, a UCCS Lion OneCard design, and an aspen leaf design for Ent members who live outside of Ent’s primary markets. “Members can come into one of our instant issue service centers and choose whichever card design they prefer,” Rowedder said. Ent will have all the new cards in circulation by the end of August.
Of the images she captured for Ent, Pinski’s Garden of the Gods shot is her favorite. “It was so hard to get a photo taken at sunrise with clouds in the western part of the sky, but on that day, everything just worked out,” she said.And Pinski knows a thing or two about waiting for an ideal shot. She has taken thousands of pictures, traveling to more than 20 countries photographing landscapes, architecture and people. Her work has been featured by National Geographic, The Smithsonian, Vanity Fair, and more.
Pinski doesn’t have a favorite spot, because “every place has something different and unique to offer,” but she does have a favorite photograph. “I took a photo of a solar eclipse that I am most proud of due to the story behind how it was captured and because the end result was my first National Geographic publication.”
Pinski hopes to get the chance to photograph the northern lights in Iceland. Until then, she will continue taking pictures of her 1-year-old son, traveling the world searching for the perfect nature shots and of course, using her new bank card.
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