In the last couple of weeks of the NBA playoffs and finals, one man has been grabbing headlines perhaps more than he should. The rapper Drake has been more active on the court that some of the players as he has been geeing up the Toronto Raptors players. Drake’s presence at courtside is often more distracting than anything but is he going too far?

Showing His Support

Drake has never hidden his love of the Toronto Raptors, and it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him courtside when his team made the NBA playoffs. What soon became an issue though was just how involved the rap star was getting. After all, the sport is played by the athletes, and the coaches do the coaching, but to look at him, Drake was a part of the team.

He was spotted rubbing Nick Nurse’s shoulders, and his trolling game is off the charts. Superstars such as Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all been targeted by the rapper from the sidelines.

How Far Is Too Far?

Drake has just as much right to celebrate and enjoy the Raptors run to the finals as anyone else, but is he overstepping the mark? At times the rapper has been getting in the face of opponents while trying to rile them up.

If it was a member of the Raptors’ bench doing what Drake was doing, would there be some kind of disciplinary action? Tensions are high on the court and players don’t really need Drakes’ overzealous grinning face beaming at them when they step off the court.

There Are Boundaries

Drake is more than welcome to be as loud and proud about the Raptors as he wants, but there are boundaries put in place for a reason. Fans aren’t allowed to get as close to the action as Drake does and it sets a dangerous precedent for superfans in the future. In seeing the influence Drake’s antics have had on opposing players, other superfans of other teams might be encouraged to do the same.

Drake is sticking within the rules, so even though some people don’t like it, technically he’s not doing anything wrong. Some people might not think he’s morally doing the right thing, but Drake won’t care.

Barcelona-based artist Jordi Puig enjoys nothing more than taking stunning photos using some pretty cool tricks…

One of Jordi’s trademark creative processes is the “Tunnel.” This is basically when he takes a cylindrical object, positions the camera at one end of it, and captures what’s on the other end. We apologize if we got this wrong, but we’re pretty sure that he’s using some sort of pencil holder in this photo. Every end result is so epic and full of detail. However, when you “lift the curtain,” the making of the photo seems so casual.

They say that a picture tells a thousand words. But what if the photo you are looking at has hundreds of letters that appear to be jumping all over the place? Jordi came up with this ingenious idea. While the end result makes it look extremely complex, the method is actually pretty straightforward. Jordi simply bought a pack of letter pasta pieces, coated them in black paint and sprinkled them over a book. Very clever!

Make no mistake about it – Jordi Puig’s photos are all about perspective. The Barcelona-based photographer has a great eye for light and space and has used it to his advantage countless times before. As previously mentioned, he’ll take an everyday object, like this modified plastic bottle, and use it for his “tunnel” technique. At the right time of day, Jordi managed to perfectly capture the sunset by a lake.

Jordi is a unique photographer in that he can see how the elements interact with each other. This heavily informs the way he takes photos, to create all sorts of dazzling effects. The following three-way split image clearly demonstrates the way he used a tennis ball and a bottle of water, two seemingly mundane objects, to create something beautiful. After bouncing the water-soaked ball on a tennis racket, the end result is an awesome spiral effect.

A recurring theme throughout Jordi’s work is the use of the elements and a variety of “sprinkling” effects. With a bottle of water, the photographer is able to make each drop of water pop, adding an effect that is easy to create, but awesome if executed properly. Spinning a basketball on one’s finger has always been a cool move, so why not capture it on camera? Without a doubt, this photo (and the making of it) is a slam dunk!

What makes Jordi Puig’s photos so unique is his ability to take props and use them to his artistic advantage. All he did for this photo was bring one of his friends to hold onto a slinky toy. Then, he snapped away while holding the other end. IF you didn’t know any better, this would probably look like photoshop.

Amazingly, Jordi’s even able to turn something as ordinary as a mop into an awesome prop for his work. While the method might look so lackluster, the sprinkling of water and the camera position beneath the mop creates a unique angle of the situation at hand. It’s also important to mention that Jordi often needs someone to help him fully realize his goal. Someone might need to hold the prop to set the stage for the photo he’s trying to capture.

While Jordi will often use cylindrical objects to create the “tunnel” effect, he might also use it to focus the viewers’ attention on the centerpiece of the photo. So here we have the mysterious black hoodie, reading a paper that’s on fire. Let’s just make this clear: kids, don’t try to replicate this particular photo at home. In these photoshoots, Jordi works with trained stuntmen who know how to incorporate fire into their art.

While we’re struggling to figure out the symbolism of this photo, it is clear that Jordi has a clear vision whenever he turns on his camera. All he did was place his phone on the weathered traffic line on a rainy day and snap away. It’s amazing how Jordi can take a rainy puddle and use it to his advantage. After positioning the camera over the surface, he noticed his shadowy silhouette and seized the moment.

In the age we live in, where so many kids are overly dependent on technology, it’s nice to see that Jordi is still paying homage to his own childhood. He enjoyed playing with this kind of spinning top, and wanted to use the classic toy to his photographic advantage. After his friend released the top with his string, he took a photo of it in mid-spin, making sure that the friend was perfectly positioned in the background.

It’s not necessarily the cheapest trick on this list, but if you’ve got yourself a crystal ball, you’ll be able to get out of that photographic rut and look at life through a completely different lens. But that’s not all you need to capture the perfect crystal ball photo. You will also need a camera body and a Macro lens. These two components help you fit the ball in the frame while also blurring the background.

We might have never seen an easier photo to take that looks so great! Obviously, it helps if you know how to work your way around a camera. But if you can find someone willing to strike some poses for you while holding onto some fairy lights, you are onto an absolute winner. Simply make the model hold the lights, and adjust your focus. Some of the lights closer to the camera will create a mesmerizing blurred effect.

Like previous photos, what’s great about a lot of these tricks is the ability to take something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary. A strainer doesn’t seem like a kitchen item that would help a photographer create some dazzling effects. Maybe that’s because you need to find the right strainer. This particular one has a cool spiral design. So if you place it in the right lighting, you’ll be able to create this cool effect on someone’s face.

Who ever thought that a sandwich bag could create such cool haze effects? It always seems like photographers need to have high-end equipment or awesome photoshopping skills in order give their photos that faded touch. However, if you don’t know what to do with the rest of your lunch break, take one of your sandwich bags and cover some of your lens with it, the right side of this split image is the end result.

Normally, a wedding photographer will simply take the bride and groom to a pleasant looking field and be done with it. Not this guy. With a little bit of trickery from the shiny surface of an iPhone, this photographer created some magic. He created the illusion that the bride and groom had walked along the lake’s surface in order to get to their private cabin. So if you’ve got an iPhone and a camera, you know what to do.

Once again, we’re returning to the object that we’re struggling to identify. Maybe it’s a pencil holder, or maybe it’s a high-end hamster wheel. Who knows?! Whatever it is, Jordi is benefitting immensely from it in another one of his photos. Not only does he use friends in his photos, but he was also able to capture his dog in this particular shot. The silhouettes perfectly encapsulate the symbiotic relationship that so many people have with members of the canine family.

Not only does Jordi use everyday objects to create extraordinary photos. He also takes photos of people doing mundane activities, like sweeping a floor. Yet he still manages to make the most ordinary things look so mesmerizing. You can literally see every fiber sticking out of that broom. To make the photo even more stunning, Jordi used his “sprinkling” technique to full effect, dropping tiny pieces of dirt on top of the broom. It really brings the photo to life.

Once again, Jordi brought that darn mop into play and created another awesome photo from it. This time though, he doubled down on the mundane activity, adding the filter from the mop bucket to the occasion. Of course, Jordi’s creative juices are always flowing and he realized he could use the filter for his “tunnel” technique. The ribs of the filter are just as a cool to look at as the image of the guy mopping at the end of the tunnel.

The fact that Jordi will take props he used from previous photos and use them in new ways later on is the sign of a true master at work. This time, instead of bouncing a tennis ball on a racket, he simply got someone to gently throw it in front of them. Another running theme throughout Jordi’s photos you might find is a “faceless” character in the background. With the right lighting and a black hoodie, Jordi’s able to create an element of mystery with ease.

This photo shows the letter pasta pieces Jordi uses before coating them in black paint. However, like everything that this photographer does, he deliberately left the letters uncoated. This is because he wanted to reverse the contrast. Previously, the black letters seemed to pop out of the sepia pages of the book. In this photo, the exact opposite is happening. The yellow letters seem to be falling from the dark tree trunk and alongside the black book casing.

Jordi seems to know how to create an ominous tone in practically all of his photos. Sometimes, he might go a little overboard, emphasizing the silhouette nature of the black hoodie. When juxtaposed against the newspaper engulfed in flames, it is quite the sight for sore eyes. As previously mentioned, Jordi works with trained individuals who know how to work with fire in these type of situations. So don’t try this at home unless you are qualified to do so.

Make no mistake about it – not every “tunnel” photo that Jordi takes is the same. On the contrary, every “tunnel” photo he takes has something unique about it. Take this one, for example. As you can see on the left side, Jordi used a ribbed cutlery drying rack. This created the illusion that the silhouette in the middle had just emerged from a tunnel to enjoy the tranquil waters. Symmetry is another quality that Jordi likes to use in certain photos.

Who would’ve thought that tying one’s shoelaces could inspire a trippy, Instagram classic? Well, the answer’s pretty obvious: Jordi Puig, of course. It might seem like a weird thing to do – take someone’s shoelaces and build a photo around them. However, Jordi had a vision of what the end result would look like and needless to say, it was a very good idea. The way the laces are laid out makes it look like the person is posing behind shattered glass.

In this photo, Jordi took a more traditional looking cutlery drying rack and transformed it into something completely different. This photographer is obviously very familiar with the streets of Barcelona and knows which dead ends to use for his photos. It wasn’t even raining that day, yet Jordi managed to make it look like it was. The water effect only adds to the illusion that this is a genuine tunnel that’s leading into an alleyway. Clever stuff.

When you intrude on a run-down warehouse and have a pair of chains with you, it makes sense to steer into the industrial vibe of the place. Add a bit more smoke and a mysterious-looking guy wearing a black hoodie, and things just got “real.” Moreover, take the chains, hold onto one end while your friend holds the other, and snap away. When you add chains to the situation, it makes everything a lot more ominous than it already was.

Did Jordi forget to tell us something? Did he previously break into the set of Breaking Bad and bump into Heisenberg half-way through a “cook?” Whatever the case might be, gas masks are always a strange thing to wear. Sure, they prevent you from inhaling toxic fumes, but we have a feeling that Jordi simply bought these masks for artistic reasons. With the fake smoke and the derelict warehouse, Mr. Puig was on to another winner.

We’re actually surprised that Jordi hasn’t used that many bridges in his beautiful photos. They are a great way of presenting perspective, which is something that the Barcelona photographer is an expert in. We hope that his phone is waterproof, because he doesn’t seem to have any problem sprinkling water on it. The image on the left just goes to show that Jordi doesn’t need to do that much to take an awesome photo. Of course, filters help a lot, as well.

We promise that this is the last photo Jordi took using those notorious pasta letter pieces. In this image though, you can actually see what the photographer does to give the letters that black effect. He literally pours the entire bag into a plastic bucket and sprays them with black paint. Afterward, he sprinkles them on his friend’s hand, who is pretending to read. The end result creates the illusion that the letters are jumping out of the page and into his hand.

We firmly believe that Jordi’s use of the circular, yellow slinky worked a whole lot better. However, you can’t fault him for experimenting. This is also the sign of great artist – someone who will fail a million times just so that they can succeed once. Even still, Jordi managed to create an interesting effect with this blue, square slinky. Sure, it’s not the photo that will put him on the map, but it’s a worthy draft.

What makes these types of photos so impressive is that they easily could have been taken by someone who was just passing by. However, Jordi actually staged the entire shoot, placing the drying rack on the netted platform, with the sunset in the background. Unlike other “tunnel” photos he has taken, Jordi didn’t rely on any silhouette in the background. All he wanted was to capture the sunset, with the rays bouncing off the lake’s surface.