Have you ever noticed that sometimes there appear to be things growing out of people's heads when you take a photograph? While it may not matter too much to casual photographers, it does when you're an enthusiast and you want to get the best possible photographs.
As such, when taking photographs you should always ensure that the photograph background is clear -- at least of unwanted objects or people.
Doing this should just take half a second or so.
When you first start taking photographs you're going to have to consciously remind yourself to do so but as time goes on you'll slowly find it developing into a habit.
If your photograph background is not as you want it, take a step back, or move to a different angle.
Sometimes even tilting the camera in a slightly different direction is enough to improve the shot itself tremendously.
Mind you -- your photograph background doesn't have to be totally clear.
Sometimes having a stunning background can really add to the effect of the photographs, and all that you really want to ensure is that it doesn't clash with the actual subjects of the photo itself.
Also remember that if you're taking photographs with a light source in the background the entire image is likely to automatically appear darker unless you adjust the settings properly.
All things said and done, what you need to remember is that the photograph background is important.
Too often even professional photographers get so caught up in the actual subject of their photographs that they tend to ignore the background.
Don't make this mistake when you're taking photographs and you'll find that you've just eliminated one of the main causes for lousy photos!