What is in the Background?

Our eyes are very good at ignoring unnecessary details which is good for some things but can be disastrous when you are trying to create a beautiful image.
It is important to 'see' what is behind your subject, what is distracting, whether to move in or zoom or whether to change your camera angle.

Subject Placement
Placing your subject precisely where you want it can be as simple as taking a step sideways or bending down or even having a higher camera angle

Lens Default Position
These days, most cameras have zoom lenses making life easy by carrying fewer lenses. Zoom Lenses default to wide angle. It is important to be aware that the default position on compact cameras or separate zoom lenses is at the wide end. This may not produce the best image and result in you having too much unnecessary detail around your subject. Remember to zoom in to where you think the best image is.

Light Angles Change during the Day
Another thing to be aware of is the light at different times of the day. The series belw shows how light effects the background vs time. You will notice that some of the flowers are easier to see  than others