Night photo light breaks?

[fr8train]

Hello
I've tried searching on here and on google, however I am unable to find exactly what I'm looking for. I'm not too familiarly with photography so I don't know if I'm using the right terms for what I'm trying to refer to, but I'll give it a shot. I have a nikon d60 with the 52 mm 3 x x Zoom lens - 18 mm - 55 mm - F/3.5-5.6 G Nikon AF-S DX VR lens (from google, as I'm at work at the moment and don't have the camera on me). Anyway, when I take long exposure photos at night with bright lights, like street lamps for example, they break the light in a unattractive manner.
Here's an example from image search of what I would like the light to break like:
htt p://i53.tinypic.com/velnnt.jpg (can't post images or links until I have 5 posts, just remove space after htt)
The bright lights in my night photos are coming out like blobs and the they're also creating flare. I'll post a photo of what mine look like when I get home from school this afternoon.

Thanks in advance for any useful information.

 

[Snakeguy101]

I don't really know what you are asking but here is your image:

 

[fr8train]

I don't really know what you are asking but here is your image:

Thanks for posting it. What I mean is, that my camera (d60 with stock lens) never breaks up the concentrated light nicely like in that photo. My old point shot did. In the photo the lights are broken up symmetrically and kind of look like stars, whereas my mine look like blobs and there's always flare. I'll post one of my photos I took at night recently when I get home this afternoon to better illustrate what I mean.

 

[Snakeguy101]

So you are saying that you want the star effect but that you are not getting it on your new camera?

 

[fr8train]

So you are saying that you want the star effect but that you are not getting it on your new camera?

That or the light being broken up in a cleaner way, and if there's anything I can do to reduce night time flare from coming up in the middle of the photos.

 

[KmH]

Those are called diffraction spikes.

You get them when a lens is stopped down to a small aperture.

You will get flare (internal lens reflections) anytime you have bright light sources in (or near) the image frame.

 

[fr8train]

Those are called diffraction spikes.

You get them when a lens is stopped down to a small aperture.

You will get flare (internal lens reflections) anytime you have bright light sources in (or near) the image frame.

I see. I've been searching all over but I didn't know what it was called so I wasn't getting anything. So if I set a small aperture I'll be able to recreate a similar effect as in the photo previously posted? I'll give it a shot tonight.

 

[Geaux]

You should post an example of what YOUR image looks like, it'll help others understand exactly what you're asking...

 

[KmH]

You should post an example of what YOUR image looks like, it'll help others understand exactly what you're asking...

Yes.

Snakeguy101 may not realise that TPF rules don't allow us to post photos that aren't ours. (copyright law and all that jazz)