Photographing the World Cup - What Makes a Great Football Photo

[Bright Hermit]

The World Cup is generating extraordinary images, both from professional photographers pitchside and from fans in the stands. The sport presents specific photographic challenges: fast movement, unpredictable action, huge crowds, dramatic light.

But the best football photographs are rarely just action shots. They are often the reactions, the bench moments, the fans, the spaces between the action.

For anyone who shoots sport, or who just appreciates sports photography: what do you think makes a great football photograph, and who are the photographers you think do it best?