Ken Rockwell, a guy with an extensive website about photography and equipment, has this to say about nature photography: 
"I'm not trying to reproduce nature. I encourage people to be creative. I personally use any sort of artificial anything I can to create the look I want. I'm expressing my imagination, not trying to duplicate reality."
I think the idea applies to more than just nature photography.  But it depends.  Sometimes, a good picture simply reproduces what the eyes see, whether it's a person, an animal, a building, or whatever.  Other times, a picture enhances or improves what the eye sees, either by adding something like lighting or color, or by taking something away like background noise or ... color. #entertainment