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Brian Clopp's photo of kit foxes, taken in Dugway, won the 'Animal Antics' category of the 2024 Nature's Best Photography international photo contest.

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Photographer Brian Clopp of Huntsville, Utah.

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The Nature's Best Photography winter edition magazine will feature winning photos from the organization's 2024 international photo contest.

Photo supplied

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HUNTSVILLE — A photo taken by a Huntsville man has been selected as a category winner in an international photo contest that garnered tens of thousands of submissions from countries all over the world.

Photographer Brian Clopp’s image of one desert kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) wrapping its tail around another took top honors in the “Animal Antics” category of the 2024 Nature’s Best Photography International Awards.

Clopp, who leads guided photo wildlife tours for newbies and veterans alike through his business, Lens Explorers, used rented gear to capture the winning image while photographing wild horses in the Onaqui Herd Management Area near Dugway.

“When I saw those foxes, it was after the horse gather. I knew that they’re rare and they’re elusive and they’re hard to find because they move dens every 10 days to avoid coyotes,” Clopp told the Standard-Examiner.

“I’ve been out there a couple hundred times with the wild horses and I’d only seen them once before. So, I decided to essentially extend the rental car. … I camped out with them for several days.”

Clopp said shortly after parking, a group of foxes approached his Jeep and were smelling it and biting at the tires. At one point, one of the foxes managed to make off with a spare lens. Nevertheless, he was able to snap two of the foxes in a veritable embrace.

The picture was one of just a small handful of pictures to receive awards out of approximately 25,000 submissions from photographers in 62 countries. Meanwhile, 113 finalists were chosen to be published and displayed.

In addition to being recognized as a category winner, Clopp’s photo was selected to grace the cover of the 2024 Winter Special Awards Edition of Nature’s Best Photography magazine, due out in December.

Winning and highly-honored images and videos are also viewable on the NBP website at https://naturesbestphotography.org/winners2024/.

Clopp, who leads guided workshops locally near Dugway and the Grand Tetons, as well as around the U.S., was prompted to take pictures at an early age.

“I was inspired by my mom,” he said. “She’d taken a beautiful photo of some azaleas on this winding forest path, and that’s what was on our wall when I was a kid. And I always thought, ‘Wow, that’s such a beautiful picture.'”

He went on to work in film production and has also photographed the likes of former Pres. Jimmy Carter, Ted Turner, James Earl Jones and other celebrities. Now, he’s inspired to capture images of nature and wildlife in an effort to promote conservation.

The New Jersey native said he donates a portion of his business proceeds to support conservation efforts. He has also developed a passion for supporting foster children and families, recently launching his Foster Photo program (at https://www.FosterPhoto.org/).

“Oftentimes we’ll have one space that doesn’t sell out, or I can essentially reserve a space or two and take a foster kid out on a workshop with us,” Clopp said.

Clopp added that he’ll be donating 50% of the proceeds from print sales of the winning fox photo to Foster Photo. Prints can be purchased via https://www.LensExplorers.com/ or by emailing LensExplorers@gmail.com.

While Clopp has been developing his photographic expertise and unique style for years, he said that producing quality and even contest-winning work can “take a community.” He credits Mike Ash with Farr’s Jewelry & Cameras in Ogden for working with him on rental equipment, including the cameras used to photograph the foxes.

For new photographers, he offers the following advice: shoot often and find enjoyment in the process.

“Shoot every day. If you can’t afford a camera, rent one or borrow one from a neighbor or friend. Just keep putting yourself out there and always remember the joy of it,” Clopp said.

“It’s not about getting a shot. It’s about having a good experience while you get the shot.”