What the camera captures is but a fraction of what the eye of man sees.

But that's still an impressive output, if an upcoming exhibit at Lancaster Museum of Art is any indication.

Opening Jan. 6 during First Friday —the monthly celebration of arts and culture in downtown Lancaster — the exhibit, titled "Lancaster Lens," focuses on the works of 13 regional photographers whose points of view are as varied as the photographic landscape.

"Some use sophisticated digital cameras. Some use 'toy' cameras," said Stanley Grand, the museum's executive director.

The results are eye-opening, to say the least.

Human faces gaze longingly from the black-and-white pictures of K.K. DePaul, evoking images both sympathetic and questioning. Visages of a different kind — those found on vintage dolls — engage viewers in a kind of staring contest through the lens of Virginia Caputo. Travel scenes of Washington, D.C., and Rome brighten the works of Fred Albright.

And though the subjects of Tom Debiec — antelopes, dogs and rhinos — are familiar, the photographer's use of a so-called "toy" Holga camera makes them seem almost like a different medium.

For the uninitiated, a Holga is called a "toy" due to its diminutive size and simple construction. Yet the unassuming Chinese-made camera has found a following among film camera buffs, so seeing Debiec's results are a kind of treat for the photo enthusiast.

All of this comes to the museum thanks to the hands of Dr. Charles Heisterkamp, a retired general and vascular surgeon and himself a photographer. Heisterkamp, president of Lancaster Camera Club, is curating the "Lancaster Lens" exhibit.

"I've done photography for about 50 years," said Heisterkamp, who has images on display in the exhibit. "I'm considering setting up a photo gallery in town."

Heisterkamp met with Grand to discuss the idea, and out of their meeting came the concept of an exhibit showcasing other local photographers. Heisterkamp said he hopes "Lancaster Lens" will interest and educate people in the different methods photographers use to create images.

Heisterkamp's own shots of colorful bearded men were taken a couple of years ago at the famed Burning Man festival, an avant-garde showcase of art and music held each year in the Nevada desert. It's an unlikely destination for a retired surgeon from Lancaster, but that was the point, Heisterkamp said.

"It's one of those adventures I'm not sure everyone would like, but it's interesting," Heisterkamp said. "You meet an awful lot of interesting people!"

And so it is with this exhibit, housed in the museum's stately mansion in Musser Park. The setting is traditional; the works are not.

"It's the first time we've done something like this," Grand said.

First Friday runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, at venues in and around downtown Lancaster. For more information, call 509-2787 or visit lancasterarts.com. For more information about programming at Lancaster Museum of Art, 135 N. Lime St., call 394-3497 or visit lmapa.org. "Lancaster Lens" runs through Feb. 26.