Looking west

A pair of images that ended up like this.

Comments?

I'm not crazy about the use of Photoshop in this image. Sorry if this comes across as harsh, I certainly only want to voice my opinion of this picture and in no way do I mean any bad intent.

Firstly, no camera has a dynamic exposure range like this to shoot into the sun and still catch detail of a Pelican passing through it. This kind of manipulation takes credibility away from the photo, away from the photograqpher and away from the process of photography. It's very damaging. I appreciate the composition, but my thoughts go to why don't you go to the beach at sunrise or sunset and capture the image without damaging your reputation as a photographer.

Thank you.