One postcard that always made me smirk was of my own town: Idaho Falls.
You see, in this picture you have the LDS Temple towering above the falls which gives the city it's name. Idaho FALLS, get it?
Well, I have walked along the Snake River many times, and I was never able to get this angle during my walks. The temple centered on the corner of the falls, as big and prominent as it is.
To prove my point, I took my camera down to the river and tried to line up the shot. First with the temple as the center, but after a few attempts, I just lined up the waterfall on the spot of the river this postcard was taken.
This was my result:
A slightly different angle, but the best one I could muster without going into the fast-moving river.
Even then, look at the size of the temple in A vs B.
...can you say photoshopping?
I understand the intent, since the Mormon Temple is considered (by some) to be a point of interest in this small town. This postcard says to me "The falls and the temple are the two major things to see in Idaho Falls."
Well, I disagree. I decided to remove the temple and do some shopping myself...
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| Not my best work, but you get the idea... |
From miles away, the first thing you see letting you know you're in IF is the red white and blue water tower. Even though the temple is taller, many people see the water tower from a distance first. It also seems like, no matter where you are in town, you can almost always see this tower. Not a tourist attraction, but it reminds me more of Idaho Falls than the temple (especially since there are temples everywhere, and this tower is more unique).
Another fun landmark in this town? DB's Bar.
Yes, a bar on a river looks silly, but I go to this bar more often than I do the Mormon temple (durr) so it's more significant to me.
Have you ever looked closely at the post cards in your area? Are they factually accurate, or has there been some photoshop shenanigans?
