A thunderstorm in Cape May, N.J. (Chris Bakley)

Photographer Chris Bakley, who grew up in Cape May, N.J., wanted to show his Jersey Shore hometown in a new light – literally and figuratively.

“I began this project because I wanted to show everyone a different side of Cape May/Jersey Shore – the night’s sky,” he told weather.com.

Bakley took a series of photos that show a beautiful sky illuminated by stars. It may not be obvious in the resulting images but conditions by the water didn’t always work in his favor.

(MORE: Breathtaking Stars Light Up the Night Sky (PHOTOS))

“There will be nights where I am all set up and ready to shoot and then look to the horizon only to see a bunch of clouds moving in,” Bakley said. “Or… during the summer, where the humid night creates a haze in the sky to where the stars are not as easily captured.”

While the photographer says he is “always relying on mother nature to cooperate,” one of the many times it didn’t made for an incredibly memorable moment.

According to Bakley, a night out on his balcony during a storm in Cape May last July was one of his “most thrilling” photography experiences.

“I was up late on that hot summer night, only to hear a rumble in the distance,” said Bakley, who quickly went to go grab his camera. “As time went on the lighting became much more frequent and it was one of, if not, the biggest storms of the summer. The lighting bolts were huge and striking everywhere.”

The image Bakley captured from the thunderstorm can be seen in the slideshow above along with his other stunning photos of Cape May at night. To see more of Bakley’s work visit his website.