Nil - I agree with your feeling about the bag - it's part of the reality of the scene (if that's the purpose, of course.) Our world isn't always a pretty place, so beautiful photos of unsightly, or even ugly subjects can be very effective.
Eauboy - if the iconic tree is surrounded by unsightful signs of Man, then that's the story. Sometimes (I'm in agreement with Doylem again here...) art and journalism can overlap (many times, actually) and the use of irony and storytelling can make a photo very compelling, and stunning. It's one thing to have people admire the beautiful object you took a photo of, and another to get people to pause, and "think about it" for perhaps just a brief, yet powerful moment.