Black and White Aerial Photography

Aerial photography has proven to be extremely helpful to cartographers and planners. Through them they are able to take detailed measurements and then apply them to maps. Black and white maps where the first of their kind are still used to day because of the stark contrast that they implement. Aerial maps are a powerful tool in studying and understanding the surface of the Earth. 

https://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Front/overview.html