These three portrait images are part of my initial portrait series from Rajasthan, India.  All three a worthy shots on their own accord but i have just started to play around with the HDR Efex Pro photoshop plugin by Nik Software.  I've been blown away by the power of this program and its capabilities to enhance photographs.

The control you have over the Nik software settings is astounding.  You can easily add control points to alter small sections / tones of an image.  You have mirco adjustment control over exposure / contrast / blacks / whites and other standard settings you'd see in Adobe Photoshop Raw.  But then you also have a series of presets down the left hand side that make editing a very quick and easy process to achieve stunning photographic results.

As these three shots were of elderly men, i wanted a very raw and contrasty finish that really amplified the textures and wrinkles in the faces.  Below is an example of the Nik Software HDR Efex Pro interface.