Two Long Beach Post journalists won awards for their photography and video work during the annual Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles awards ceremony Saturday afternoon, with reporter Cheantay Jensen winning first place for best feature video.

Jensen won first place for her video detailing two men’s efforts to continue their non-profits’ giving during the pandemic. Long Beach Post Visuals Editor Thomas R. Cordova won a third place award for the same category for his video showing a Long Beach “makeup lady” who travels to Skid Row every weekend where she takes beauty products and other necessities to the homeless.

Cordova also won two second place awards for general news for his photo showing a protester staring down Long Beach Police Department officers during the civil unrest in Long Beach in May 2020.

Jensen and Cordova shared a second place award for their work on a video telling the story of a barber overcoming an aneurysm to continue to cut hair and start a nonprofit helping homeless youth.

The submissions were among thousands of photos and videos sent in from television stations and news outlets like the Los Angeles Times, NBC, CNN, Getty Images and the Associated Press.

Cordova has worked as a photojournalist since 1999 spending time at Southern California publications like the Hour Times, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the Long Beach Press-Telegram before coming to the Long Beach Post where he’s worked as the visuals editor for nearly three years.

Jensen started at the Post as an intern in 2019 when she graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in journalism. She started her video work in 2020 at the outset of the pandemic.

Jensen had previously won second place for best online storytelling at the 2021 National Press Photographers Association for her work showing a man playing his violin in front yards during the pandemic.

See the full video that won best feature here:

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Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.