Sunset

Please excuse me for sounding harsh, but this image doesn't seem to be suited to an HDR application. It's an unremarkable sunset of an unremarkable setting with extremes between dark and light. It also looks like it tilts to the left a bit.

That is not to say that your skills as a photographer are wanting. You just need a more picturesque setting at a better time.

I can't possible see the need for an HDR for a frame that is 3/4 silhouette/black.

I would suggest you do more research on your end to find out more what about what HDR is and its applications.

HDR is not just an effect, it is a way of shooting and editing a photo. HDR should be shot with multi- exposures covering the full tonal range of a scene then edited to reveal those tones in one frame (photo).

My opinions: I don't notice the use of HDR, which is good. This said, I don't know if it's a HDR type photo. I think compositionally, this is not a great photograph... there's endless clutter of the power lines and some of the tree elements, and the foreground is a mass of black.

The power lines you can't do much with of course, but I could see this photo working a bit better if:

1) you could recompose (probably move your feet) to frame the sunset with the tree. For instance, taking a step or two to the right would surround the sunset with the inverted vee of the tree branches. This might work better. Try it and find out. Right now a branch is going right through the sun.
2) find a more interesting fore/midground - perhaps one with more/better reflection off the water.

I have to agree that this particular shot does not lend itself that well to HDR. Also, if it WERE an HDR photo, not only would we see the sunset but most of the foreground would be properly exposed as well and not silhouetted. There can be some amazing sunset/sunrise images created with the HDR process but, like others before me mentioned, this composition/location really isn't all that conducive to it. I would encourage you to maybe revisit the shot and alter the composition a bit to better align the primary elements and remove some of the clutter if possible. Keep on shooting!

Thank you good sirs. I think I was all gitty about doing an HDR and not thinking about my subject throughly. I will find me a better picture to compose and will get back soon!

I dont think there is any harm in using hdr on this. To me hdr is about bringing out the dynamic range whilst keeping the image looking as though it is one exposure.