Summarize the following:
Notice the objects, shapes and lines in the background when taking pictures and when editing your pictures. Avoid including any distractions above the person's head. Steer clear of things like tree trunks, posts, narrow buildings, vertical lines, etc. At the same time, aim to have an interesting background. Read up on landscape art composition; this will help you to appreciate the art of composing more. There are many good books and websites available on the topic of landscape art composition. In the photo shown here, the photographer has carefully composed everything:  The poser in the foreground is what you notice first. We then notice the other people in the photo. The path also guides on along the visual path. In the background, a distance away, you finally see a nice landscape with the high building. If you have two centers of interest, you must compose your photo carefully. For example, in this image, you can see that the boat blends in with the building in the background––the photo could have been composed better. Selective focus with the background remaining blurry is an option where there is more than one center of interest. A different camera angle horizontal or vertical could help too; take many photos and choose from the best among them. Anything involving a scene, such as a beach scene, can be all too easy to clutter, especially if you're a novice at composition.  This scene has a lot of potential. The beach is obviously the center of interest but the white building in the upper left corner and the other building draws attention away from the beach. Crop this type of distraction by including just a portion of the white building.  Notice the simplicity of professional photos and frames of scenes in well made movies, and imitate this simplicity in your photos. Learn from the graphic design of products like beer ads. When composing your photo, think how a professional photographer would take the picture, and take your photo like a professional photographer. Move a bit, move a lot and use the different setting in your camera to arrange the elements in your photo.
Be mindful of the background. To add some depth, take your photos at an angle to the poser. When looking at photos, notice the visual path that you naturally follow, based on how the photographer composed the picture. Have one center of interest, where possible. Do not clutter your photo.