The moon was definitely out in full force that night, and I'm not just talking about the one in the sky.

If this picture doesn't bring a smile to your face, then you might be slightly jaded. Fun heedless youthful joy is what McGinley does best. Ryan McGinley first got his start by documenting youthful New York City life. Street kids, graffiti, and drug filled partying in the Big Apple was the axis of McGinley’s world. Then, he had this crazy realization that there is a whole world out there that he and his friends needed to explore. This photo is one of his first works in which McGinley transcended the grasp of the big city and immersed his subjects in the natural environment. Since, this has become a signature of McGinley’s portfolio. Naked youth engaging with nature has become his focus.

To get his feet wet with the whole nature thing, McGinley rented a house in Vermont and brought a crew of friends and people he met clubbing out to the boonies. He then spent an entire day pruning the tree in this photo, and when the sun went down, so did the trousers. His friends then spent the evening hanging out (in multiple senses of the word) in the freshly trimmed tree while McGinley immortalized the moment.

For McGinley, his photos are about optimism, confusion, and rebellion. He sees these as the hallmarks of youth, and while youth is fleeting, McGinley’s photos are not. And it is safe to say, neither be the fanfare for his photos. Obtaining art world fame from a young age, people adore McGinley’s photos, and not just because we all love looking at lithe nude bodies, but because he reminds us of the potential that lies in all of us to embrace the fun carefree lifestyle of our adolescence. So what are you waiting for? Why not drop trou and climb a tree? There is no way that could ever end badly.