Photographing the World Cup comes with highs and lows: the tedium of long journeys to and from the stadiums, the painstaking task of setting up equipment, the thrill of getting the right shot.
Reuters photographers have not only worked to capture the action on the pitch. They have also produced a set of pictures showing their own quirky view from behind the scenes as they travelled around Brazil to cover the event.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The photographers shared their experiences flying from place to place, settling into hotels, and working in the giant sporting arenas.
. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
They also shot scenes from the 12 World Cup host cities, from candid images of daily life, to tourist sites like the great Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
. SAO PAULO, Brazil. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Finally, they captured the emotions of fans from all over the world as they witnessed the huge global tournament.
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Slideshow
. SAO PAULO, Brazil. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
The setting sun is seen from a plane flying from Sao Paulo to Recife.
. SAO PAULO, Brazil. REUTERS/Mike Blake
A passenger jet casts a shadow on the ground as it descends to land in Sao Paulo.
. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Cable cars hang over Rio’s Complexo de Alemao slum.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
Kites decorated with the flags of different countries playing in the World Cup fly on a beach.
. SANTO ANDRE, Brazil. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
A Brazilian military policeman guards the base of Germany's national soccer team.
. Fortaleza, Brazil. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
A man cleans the windshield of a taxi while it waits at a red traffic light.
. Manaus, Brazil. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
A woman walks through the pouring rain in Manaus.
. SALVADOR, Brazil. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Anti-World Cup graffiti adorns a street in Salvador.
. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Movers rest during their lunch break in the Santa Teresa neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro.
. BRASILIA, Brazil. REUTERS/David Gray
A French flag hangs from the balcony of a hotel in Brasilia.
. BRASILIA, Brazil. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
A gallery of photographs shows presidents of a sports club in Brasilia.
. PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
A painting of gauchos on horseback hangs next to a television screen showing the World Cup match between Brazil and Chile.
. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
A free condom lies next to a note saying that these contraceptives are provided to all guests at the hotel in compliance with a municipal law.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
A sign is seen inside an elevator in a hotel used by media.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
A man leans back in his chair in front of his funeral shop in Olinda, near Recife.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A newspaper vendor rests in the shade.
. PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
A man walks past a poster at a shopping centre, showing the match schedule for the first round of the World Cup.
. Fortaleza, Brazil. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
A beggar’s note lies on a table at an open-air restaurant on the beach. The note reads: "I ask for some help for my family, thank you".
. PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
People watch through the window as a dancer performs inside a bar in Porto Alegre.
. RECIFE, Brazil. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A youth does a cartwheel on Boa Viagem beach.
. BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
An Argentine soccer fan wearing a Lionel Messi jersey sits at the airport in Belo Horizonte while waiting for a flight.
. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
A tourist poses with policemen outside the hotel where the Netherlands national team was staying.
. CURITIBA, Brazil. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
A FIFA official gives a thumbs-up as he walks by remote cameras before the group match between Algeria and Russia.
. Fortaleza, Brazil. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
Children walk across the pitch after posing for a photo with Ivory Coast's national soccer team before a match against Greece.