Before Dawn Hanna started working as a full time artist, she worked as a Social Worker. Dawn retired in 2012 to pursue full time career as freelance photographer and visual and graphic artist/designer, forming a company called Dawning Day Studios with her husband, Surratt Tim. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and due to her hard work and dedication, she received the coveted Spencer Love Scholarship for Visual Arts to pursue her undergraduate studies. She graduated with a degree in Studio Art. Her images have graced magazine articles, book covers and fine art posters. After her graduation she started working in North Carolina in a gallery in Charlotte. She managed to soak up the work of the many gifted photographers and artists working in the surrounding area.
Dawn spent most of her time at the darkroom of Light Factory learning about photography and printing images. She later decided to move to Athens, where she spent time experimenting with other forms of art such as paper making, collage and book making while raising her daughter. During this time, her father died in a tragic accident, and Dawn found herself leaning towards working with grieving people. She decided to continue with her education and went to the University of Georgia for her graduate studies. After graduating with a Master's degree in Social Work, she moved back to Charlotte, North Carolina where she spent 17 years working with hospice patients in both urban and rural settings. She has established a name for herself as one of the best photographers in this area.
