On Jun 30, 2020, at 1:32 PM, John Gillespie <john@...> wrote:

I also used the pattern suppression plugin (version 705). 

After a few experiments I decided to use it after contrast and colour enhancement rather than before, as this seemed to give the best result. 
There was some residual noise left over (white spots) which could then be removed with a mild application of the dust and scratches filter. 
To me this was the most interesting aspect of the challenge so I probably went too far in attempting to kill the pattern virus. However with more experience using the plugin it may be possible to get a better result. 

Ultimately there is a trade-off between getting rid of the noise and keeping detail/sharpness and most entries fall on a continuum from one extreme to the other.
I find that looking through the images in preview favours the sharper versions, but at 100% magnification some of the less noisy ones become preferable. 

726 is in my opinion the best effort, good colour and contrast/detail with a good trade-off between noise and sharpness. I prefer it to the par version, which is second best. I do find the par version a tad over-saturated and the skin and hair too red and not quite believable. 

John Gillespie