Radim Schreiber is well-known for his photography of fireflies, which he sees as "a metaphor for the illumination of consciousness."

Capturing nature’s magic
by Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, Achievements
29 November 2012

Radim Schreiber originally came to Maharishi University of Management from the Czech Republic to improve his English. He ended up becoming an award-winning nature photographer.

Radim learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1996 and came to MUM in 1998. After three months of studying English, he enrolled as an undergraduate student, choosing to study digital media. He graduated in 2004 with a BFA in macro photography and won an Outstanding Student Award.

Somewhere along the way Radim bought his first digital camera and discovered the miniature world of insects. He spent his free time and vacations photographing rare and unusual creatures up close.

Since 2008, he has won at least one award each year including the grand prize of the Rainforest Alliance’s annual Picture Sustainability Contest twice in a row—and first place in the Smithsonian Magazine’s Annual Photo Contest in The Natural World Category, where he competed against 56,000 other entries.

Radim is most well-known for his firefly photographywhich has won him several of his awards. Fireflies are rare in his home country, so he became intrigued with these insects when he came to the U.S. During the past few years, digital camera technology became advanced enough so that he could record fireflies in their natural environment without the use of flash or artificial light.

“I try to create a magical experience with my art,” Radim said. “I look into the consciousness and spirit of the animals, and I see fireflies as a metaphor for the illumination of consciousness.”

When Radim created his firefly exhibit last year for the Fairfield Art Walk, he used dim lighting, sound recordings, photos, and video to create the ambiance of an evening with fireflies dancing around. “I am using the latest technology to bring images to people’s awareness that they may not normally see, and these images would hopefully move people,” he said. “I would like people to have the experience of transcending through observing or witnessing the art.”

At his day job at Fairfield’s Sky Factory, Radim is also working to create authentic and realistic views of nature with photography and cinema. He travels around the world capturing nature’s most beautiful vistas that people can experience in their homes via digital cinema virtual windows and sky ceilings.

© Copyright 2012 Maharishi University of Management