Get rid of distracting backgrounds and clutter

Get rid of distracting backgrounds and clutter. If this means you and your friend have to move a little so that a tree does not appear to be growing out of her head, then do so. If glare is coming off the windows of the house across the street, change your angle a bit to avoid it. If you're taking garden photographs, take a moment to get down all the junk you can see. Keep the mess well out of the frame of the picture, and you will end up with much nicer, less cluttered photos.