One message Arthus-Bertrand brings through his photographs is that of the unfamiliar beauty of our planet when seen from a new perspective — in his case, while hanging out of helicopter cabins with a long-lens camera pressed against his face. But the photos also show the fragility of the landscape, which can be devastated on short notice by a tsunami or hurricane or eroded more slowly through poor human environmental stewardship.

The monumental series originated when Arthus-Bertrand (born 1946) became enchanted by the view of the landscape in Kenya while riding in a hot-air balloon. He began imagining the photographic possibilities a helicopter could afford, with its ability to readily maneuver horizontally or swoop down and hover as long as necessary to get just the right shot.

"I saw the exhibition in Norway four years ago and decided, without any experience, to try to bring it to Prague," says Olga Menzelová, the organizer of the Prague exhibition. "I was an enthusiastic ordinary visitor."

From the beginning she had the support of Prague City Hall and Prague 1, which allowed the exhibition to be installed on Kampa Island free of charge.

So far, the Czech Republic is not among the countries Arthus-Bertrand has photographed. But Menzelová says she is in the process of arranging a daylong helicopter excursion for him over the country.

From an aesthetic point of view, Arthus-Bertrand possesses a great talent for capturing landscapes, both natural and man-made, with a combination of strong composition, often with striking patterns, and gorgeous, saturated color. The large size of the prints (180 by 120 centimeters/71 by 47 inches) also draws in viewers and helps create curiosity about the origins of the images. Arthus-Bertrand satisfies viewers' thirst to learn more by providing texts for each photo written by a variety of experts.

The texts cumulatively tell a story about how the natural environment is changing at an alarming rate as a result of human activity. With a powerful combination of image and word, the photographer communicates a message that is both "green" and humanistic. Along with longer texts about each individual location, there are brief texts with factual data about how people are living today — statistics on population growth, access to clean water, energy consumption — from sources such as the World Health Organization, the Red Cross and UNICEF.

Menzelová says she receives many e-mails from teachers requesting the informational texts for the photos following class trips to see the exhibition. "The kids learn lessons from the show about how important it is to take care of the environment and about how to behave toward nature," she says. Many families are also taking their children to see the show.