Multiple production of photons by fast elementary particles coupled strongly to the electromagnetic field is treated by semiclassical methods. In this approximation, the photons are treated in a precise quantum mechanical fashion, while the motion of the matter field is obtained by classical means but includes radiation reaction effects. As a specific example the magnetic monopole is discussed (and another possible domain of applicability is pointed out). A possible connection with several recent cosmic ray events is investigated. It is shown that conventional electrodynamic models (including antiparticle annihilation) produce too few photons and magnetic monopoles too many, to account for the observed multiplicities.