Hello there Mimosa, welcome!
Yep, you sure can.
Are the "big black splashes" big dark bands? If so, you're shutter speed is set too fast.
Try these steps:
First you'll need a tripod and a cable release (or use the delayed shutter release feature of your camera). Then, set your camera to a shutter speed NO faster than 1/4 of a second. You can do this by going into "shutter priority" mode. Let the view of the computer monitor fill your frame. If you still see some residual artifacts, slow your shutter speed down even further. That's all there is to it.
This should eliminate the dark banding and result in decent shots.
Cheers.
