Hi,

Usually those pictures are taken in different wavelengths of light that humans can't see. That may be ultra-violet or infrared or x-rays. They are definitely real pictures in that they are real measurements of the brightness of the Sun in those wavelengths. The issue is that to look at them, we need to put them in a color that humans can see - so we make them look golden or violet or green. But, it is true that the color we pick is somewhat arbitrary (although there are rough conventions that scientists often use) and if you put on 'infrared glasses' that allowed your eyes to see that wavelength coming from the Sun it wouldn't necessarily appear that same color to you. What would be the same is the structures you could see and what parts/structures are bright versus dark.

-Christina