I guess saying that it's "manipulative photo techniques" is technically accurate but like, the point of that image to me has always been "regardless of whether this specific place is real, we all know a place that looks kinda like this and how soul-destroying the American highway system is when you get away from the individualist propaganda about cars" and that's why it caught on as a meme in the first place. Hell, I assumed it was photoshopped or something. If nobody related to it then it wouldn't have spread anywhere.