Such a pranapratishta is not usually done to vigrahas at home which are daily worshipped by a grihasta with all his failings. A picture helps the otherwise busy grihasta and his family members in objectifying the God entity and bringing it within their cenceptual grasp for worshipping. So a picture just represents that God entity as long as it is venerated. When it becomes soiled or torn it becomes just a paper which was a substrate for objectifying the God. The substrate was never supposed to be God entity. I would say just this much.
I do not think you are right here. But different sections may have different opinions and yours may be one among them; I will say why.
When I was a kid, my parents did a kumbabhishekam and prana-prathishta of Mr. Narayanan & Mrs. Lakshmi in our house. The whole agenda lasted for 3 days and ended with a sampradaaya bhajanai.
This was done after consultation with all known veteran vaadhyaars during that time.
That aside. In normal cases, avaahana pujai is done on a kalasam (you may be aware) and with yadha sthanam, the deity is sent back. You could still say this as symbolic but at least there is a ritualistic process of inviting the guest and waving him "tata".
Even a yantra is basically only a piece of scrap until the requisite ritualistic process and due japam is completed. So I have been told.
Photos and pictures are in the residual category. They do not fit in any of the above.