Thanks, ABC. I was playing with the "sunset" mode in the camera, which (so far as I know) is an intentional "whoopee" mode to zip up the color. It's not intended to be a perfectly accurate rendition (but in 20/20 hindsight I probably should'a made one normally to see the difference). I'm in love with Photoshop, too, but generally not to the extent that I'll totally change a picture. I spent too many years in film to do that much manipulation. I was trained to try to get it in camera. I find myself agreeing with many sometimes-intense critics of the Photoshop-the-bejeebers-out-of-it crowd. It begins to stop being photography. :)

I know I blew the composition because I didn't even see the kayaker at first. I was literally focused on the sunset, waiting for the "perfect" moment, and I was hand-holding so I was studying the shot on the screen when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I just had to squeeze it off before he was in an even worse position. I only yesterday figured out how to get the branches off the boat, but I rather like the jaggy shoreline look. I wouldn't remove the rest of the trees, nor would I crop the right-hand tree because I had already carefully considered the framing I wanted, with trees on left and right. What I hadn't considered was a serendipitous kayaker gliding into frame. :D :D :D