Taya Gray is a visual journalist photographing news, entertainment, and sports events for The Desert Sun newspaper based in Palm Springs, CA. While she enjoys covering pro tennis tournaments, music, and film festivals, Gray values the time spent on more intimate moments documenting and sharing the impactful stories of people in the local community. A San Francisco State University alumnus, Gray, having stints as both a freelancer and staffer, has called the Southern California desert home for over two decades. She grew up in Lakeport, a small town in Northern California.