Red Pants

Victorious man sitting in achievement on top of Preikestolen in Norway. © Heather McGrath/Vault Archives

Full of Hot Air

St. Gilgen, Balloon ride, Salzburg, Austria © C. Sattlberger/Anzenberger/Vault Archives

“Up! up!” begins William Wordsworth’s 1798 ballad The Tables Turned, in which the poet implores mankind to leave behind his daily drudgery for the outdoors and all its wonders. Ripping us from our books, our obligations, and our worries, he asks that we simply step outside, for the wilderness indeed “May teach you more of man / Than all the sages can.”

More than two centuries later, the implications of Wordsworth’s lyrical poem are more potent than ever before. We are now well past the first Industrial Revolution, and estimates suggest that in the last two decades alone, we have cut the amount of time we spend outdoors in half. For Americans, 93% of our lifetimes on average will be spent indoors.

No matter the season, the natural world beacons to us, if only we dare to listen. For our latest group show, we curated images from Vault Archives that collectively remind us of the importance of stepping outside. Featuring outdoor activities as diverse as skiing and zip-lining, ice skating and kayaking, this collection of imagery takes us around the world, from Canada to Panama, Iceland to Austria.

Vault Archives is an exclusive, high-end agency offering images to commercial, advertising, and editorial clients. With a focus on authentic imagery from international artists, Vault Archives currently holds a roster of over eighty phenomenal photographers, each with a keen vision and natural ability to capture unforgettable moments. Through collaboration with subagents all over the world, Vault Archives is able to reach far and wide, bringing places and people together through vivid stories and outstanding images.

Vault welcomes portfolio and story submissions. Please email a link (no attachments please) to submissions (at) vaultarchives (dot) com.

Kayaking on Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach, CA

Harry King, owner of Tahoe Ecosports, kayaks on Lake Tahoe in Kings Beach, California. © MAX WHITTAKER/The New York Times/Vault Archives

Cross Country Skiing

Greg Belding and Juliette Franklin cross a frozen lake while back-country skiing in the Purcell Mountains, in British Columbia, Canada. © S. MATERA/The New York Times/Vault Archives

Paragliding

Paragliders take flight over Jackson Hole, Wyoming. © Taylor Glenn/Vault Archives

A Lone Skier Travels Down an Off-Piste Slope

A lone skier in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. © Taylor Glenn/Vault Archives

Skater

A man in camo shorts skateboarding the Greenhill Bowl in Worcester, MA. © Heather McGrath/Vault Archives

Campers Wash Dishes in Lake Superior

Camp residents wash dishes in the waters of Lake Superior on Rabbit Island, Michigan © TONY CENICOLA/The New York Times/Vault Archives

Tomales Bay

A woman kayaks in Point Reyes National Seashore, California. © Micah Albert/Vault Archives

Polar Plunge

Friends warming up at the beach in the winter after a cold weather polar swim. © Little Outdoor Giants/Vault Archives

Man Climbs a Waterfall

A man climbing up a waterfall in the middle of the woods. © Little Outdoor Giants/Vault Archives

Hiker Jumping Rocks

A hiker enjoys leaping from rock to rock while hiking in the white mountains of New Hampshire. © Little Outdoor Giants/Vault Archives

Bike Racing

A cyclist tackles a hill in the Rapha West Coast Gentleman’s Race. © Harry Zernike/Vault Archives

Playing Frisbee

A dad and his two children play frisbee, Mendota, IL. © Joel Barhamand/Vault Archives

Kauai, Hawaii

Local Tommy Patch jumps off a cliff at Queens Bath. © Peter Frank Edwards/Vault Archives

Surfing

Surfboards almost vertical to the wave in Waimea Bay, Oahu, HI. © Lucia Griggi/Vault Archives

Snow Surfer

A surfer trudges through the snow in Scotland. © Lucia Griggi/Vault Archives

Ice Climbing

An ice climber scales the frozen wall. © Garald Haeneld/laif/Vault Archives

Tourist Zip-Lines in Dominican Republic

A tourist zip-lines through trees at the Casa Bonita in Barahona, Dominican Republic. © Dennis Rivera/The New York Times/Vault Archives

Teenagers on a Frozen Lake in Reykjavik, Iceland

Teenagers on a frozen lake in Reykjavik, Iceland © ANDREW TESTA/The New York Times/Vault Archives

Stand Up Paddleboarding

Paddleboarding in the Caribbean waters of Panama. © Taylor Glenn/Vault Archives

Vault Archives is a Feature Shoot sponsor.

Discover More