8. Gray Malin

With a name like Gray, he should have seen the art world coming.

Gray Malin (born 1986), a Dallas native, graduated from Emerson College in Boston in 2007, majoring in photography and marketing. While he has had his work displayed in the Dallas Museum of Art, David Streets Gallery in Beverly Hills, and in the Julia Dean Gallery in Venice, he is currently working independently with online curators and art buyers. Gray resides in West Hollywood, California, with his fiancé and his pup, Stella.

The turning point in his career was when he quit his job working for the President of Paramount Pictures and was selected to become a vendor at the internationally famous Melrose Fairfax Flea Market, taking place each Sunday throughout the year in Los Angeles. Manning his booth with framed and unframed copies of his work, Gray successfully caught the attention of interior designers, celebrities, gallery owners, and everyday Angelenos alike as well as tourists from all over the world who attend the swap meet weekly.

Merging his two passions, photography and marketing, Gray has taken a small Los Angeles flea market venture and created a successful fine art photography company offering his work across the country in just two short years. Since he started back in January of 2008, he has sold over 2,000 pieces across America, even internationally.

Gray has recently been featured on two Bravo television shows: theReal Housewives of Beverly Hills and My Life on the D-List. Stay up to date by joining “Gray Malin Photography” on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @graymalin.