“Now what if someone says the same about deceiving photographs? Is this a white lie for the greater good? Who is to judge because that’s potential and it could also be the opposite.”
There were no deceiving photographs here. A deceiving photograph is only if you are using the photograph to make an incorrect point. The photographs were not being used to show how the girls dressed in those days – they were being used to show the girls learning.
If you photoshop a picture to make it clearer or brighter, is that a problem? of course not. You are just trying to make the picture look better. Here that is not even the point.
Regarding, “who is to judge about what you are allowed to do for the greater good?”
The halacha decides when you are allowed to. It is not something you can decide for yourself. According to halacha, you are not allowed to speak Loshon Hora just because it is for the greater good.On the other hand, according to halacha, you are allowed to lie in order to avoid speaking Loshon hora.
At the place where I just spent Shabbos, the host was teaching hilchos LH, and he “happened” to mention that according to halacha, pictures that show something bad about a person can be LH. So that may be another reason why they photoshopped the pictures (as someone already mentioned). Some of these people may still be alive so it may be embarrassing to them, and that is certainly a reason why it be a CHIYUV to photoshop the pictures. You are OBLIGATED to lie in order to not embarrass others. (although I personally don’t think there was any deception going on here, but even if s.o. does, acc. to halacha, they probably had no choice).