San Francisco. When most of us were children, the city conjured warm images of the Golden Gate bridge, cable cars, and Rice-A-Roni. Now, the associations are horrid: rampant crime, brazen acts of shoplifting, and one of the biggest “urban camper” populations in the United States.

We connected with Ghost Lore, a 28-year-old photographer living in Golden Gate City. He spent the last month walking around the half-deserted, vandalized metropolis, capturing a mix of black-and-white and color photos on film. “The black and white photos are memories relived,” he tells Countere. “I look at those pictures and remember what it was like when I was young, stepping out of my parents car, cranking my neck back in awe at the immense architecture of the city.”

“The color photos are as I see this place now. Dystopian and miserable. San Francisco is a city in decay. The overpasses of the city collect homeless encampments, urine, and large piles of trash. All the old memories are fading, overpowered by the stench of the new ones.”

Enjoy this photo essay by Ghost Lore, with black-and-white and color photography arranged carefully to give one the full scope of the city, in all its majesty and decline.

Follow Ghost Lore on Instagram.