DECATUR - Lincoln Square Theatre left an impression on David Ledbetter as he explored the theater with his advanced digital photography class from Richland Community College.

Photographing the theater, he was captivated by the different viewpoints he could take through his lens and the lighting of the theater.

"There's a lot of history between this theater and Decatur," he said.

Ledbetter and fellow classmates were able to capture that history through collaboration between Lincoln Square Theatre and Richland Community College.

Some of the photos taken by the students were on display during a one night only art reception Friday evening at the theater.

Ed Cicenas, the class' teacher, said the students came to the theater twice - once in February and again in March - with the simple instruction "to go find something and shoot it."

"The concept was to capture the theater as is," he said. "Sometimes, you look at the older images; even in a decrepit state, ¦ it becomes a striking image."

The exhibit, titled "Lincoln Theatre's Faded Glory," featured artwork in the subjects of the lights, seats, stairs, walls and even the faucets of the theater.

The students took their best photos and entered them as part of the juried exhibit. The top three photos and a CD of photos will be donated to the theater.

"It's kind of important to preserve some of the old," Cicenas said.

John West, president of the theater's board, said they were eager to work with Richland on the project, and he was pleased with the results.

"They're all very interesting," he said of the photography. "They really showcased the beauty of the theater. You can see what (restoration) has been done to the theater and the historic aspects."

Gail Bauer, one of the photography students, was ecstatic when she found out she won first place for her photo "House Lights."

"No one's more surprised than me," she said with a laugh. "I would like to say that I had a plan (with the photo), but it was more of a happy accident."

She said she decided to play with the lighting and the contrasting of the theater as she took her photos. She added that she enjoyed having free range of the theater to explore.

"What I found interesting is that we all saw things differently," she said of the class, "we were all here at the same time, but we all saw something different to capture."

Alicia Spates can be reached at aspates@herald-review.com or 421-6986.