(CNN) -- As senior World Cup photographer for leading agency Getty, Shaun Botterill has snapped pictures of every tournament since 1994. 

He has found himself in some pretty privileged positions, capturing compelling images of football's greats -- and poignant, intimate shots away from the on-field action. 

Sure, you have to be lucky to capture certain key moments when they happen, says Botterill. But he is also a firm believer in creating your own luck: being prepared when the magic unfolds on the pitch. 

"I think knowledge of the sport is particularly important, because certain players have different styles," the Briton tells CNN's Sports Photo Masterclass series. 

"A midfielder is more creative; he's always going to be looking for that pass. And you've got players like Ronaldo who will run a play -- he'll challenge plays, he'll make pictures. So that's where you get those big action shots. 

"Generally the good players that just want to win and score make better pictures." 

It's been said that eyes are the windows to the soul. Botterill says he's learned that focusing on players' eyes helps photographers to anticipate their moves. 

While covering the trophy ceremony at the 2006 World Cup in Germany -- a tournament he describes as one of his favorite events to have worked at -- Botterill caught a glimmer in Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro's eyes as he stood with his team for the presentation. 

"Once Cannavaro got the trophy, he didn't just grab it," Botterill recalls. 

"You could see he had something in his mind to do. Things seemed to slow down and I thought I knew what was going to happen next." 
o capture certain key moments when they happen you have to be what?
lucky 