Believing that a cover photo of a guide on the Grand Canyon has made the first trip to the American Southwest "standard" seems naive; that's not how travel reality works.
If we hadn't already invested so much attention in this idea, would we really believe that a single image can dictate an entire trip?
It's like saying that a picture of a perfectly renovated house in a magazine guarantees that my own renovation will go smoothly without unexpected events or that I won't need to dispose of old materials.
For example, access to The Wave is so controlled by a lottery that a simple photo can in no way standardize the experience if you don't get the permits.