Walt Stricklin’s philosophy as a photographer is to make people see what they can’t or will not see themselves. And he has found an ingenious way to do it.

“Your camera is not your eye,” he said. “Your eye is the best filter God made. A camera is just a dumb piece of machinery.”

Stricklin, an award-winning photojournalist, creates handcrafted composite panoramic landscapes, which he proudly calls his “scapes,” available for viewing on his website, Waltstricklin.com.

Stricklin first began working as a photographer in 1974 and has worked at six newspapers in five states, including the Chattanooga News-Free Press, the Florida Times-Union, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and, most recently, The Birmingham News.

“I try to be a good communicator,” he said. “I can write really good stories, but photography comes naturally for me.”

To read more about Walt Stricklin and his scapes, check out the May 2013 issue of H Life. Find your copy here.