Look at the edges first
Before making the picture, notice anything that intersects with the subject or pulls attention away. A small change in your own position can separate a face from a busy shape or clear an object from the edge of the frame. The best adjustment may happen before editing begins.
Let the setting contribute
A quiet background can simplify a portrait, but a meaningful room or landscape can tell you something about the person. Decide whether the surroundings should be noticed or simply support the subject. Both choices can work when they are deliberate.
Be clear about creative changes
If a background is replaced or combined with another image, treat the result as a creative interpretation. Keep the original and avoid presenting a composite as evidence that a real event happened in that setting. A convincing image does not have to obscure how it was made.