Hi,

Here are my few thoughts on your image and post processing.

You mention that you wanted to achieve a silhouette against a nice sunset and you succeeded.

The time for silhouettes is morning light or setting sun light. You did a good job of cloning out the shadows that your hood created, however, it gave a vignette type of look which wasn’t all that bad but it wasn’t what you were gunning for.

The clone job nicely done, although you have some still showing through. If you try varying opacity layers as you clone you can further eliminate that without the telltale signs of cloning showing through.

Horizon is now straight. Details in shadows are more easily recovered when an image is underexposed, so when in doubt shoot underexposed rather than over. RAW or not RAW.

I like your image because the silhouette gives emotion or rather mood…you are a romantic at heart. Overall the image is a bit busy, following the KISS principle seems to work better for silhouettes…a strong dark focal point…uncluttered. My two cents worth.

Well done. A fine example for this theme!
A great example of how post-processing can enhance the details of an already nice composition.
Good luck. Author.

Nice HDR.