When taking pictures always focus on your subject, don’t let the other things in the scene distract the attention of viewers. Simplify your scene and ask yourself questions “What is the thing that makes me want to take the this picture?” , “What is my subject?” , “What did i first notice in this scene?”. Try to isolate your subject.

But do not get too simple, when you see a beautiful sun set on a lake, after asking yourself the question “what did i first notice in the scene?” do not say only “beautiful colors of sky” and do not take the picture of sky alone. That would be a mistake, because probably you are affected by a beautiful sunset with amazing colors in the sky, and it’s reflections on the lake surface, so include the lake too.

Back to our subject, isolating and focusing on the subject, if you are affected by a friendly smile of a person don’t take a full body picture, instead zoom in and take the picture of his/her face, in contrast, if you see a person in interesting clothes, go ahead and take a full body shot. But it is hard to tell that focus on your subject and exclude everything else in the scene, because shooting a local person in his/her environment, including the place that he/she lives, his/her work environment, is a better choice rather than shooting him/her alone. It is all about giving the right answer to the questions, “what really interests you in the frame” if your answer is “life style of the person”, than include the things that shows his/her life style, if your answer is a “friendly smile of the person”, than focus on her/his face and exclude everything else. In the end you will decide, and it will be your work… Think, focus and impress your viewers.

The point is, preventing other things distract the attention of viewer. Keep your subject away from confusing background, by changing your position or angle. Do not include unnecessary things, buildings, cars, trees whatever that can distract the attention of the viewer.

An Example;