In PS there are probably lots of ways to lessen particles, but I am not a big fan of
eliminating them completely. The
clone stamp is how I
eliminate imperfections, but for excessive backscatter I like the
magic wand / dust and scratches method. With the
tolerance set to 20 and both boxes unchecked I use the
magic wand a few times on a backscatter (or a couple) until I have most of it selected. Then the
dust and scratch filter with both settings at 3. Then probably the outside ring of the backscatter in the same manner. Then a few other different colored backscatters the same way. I find this much faster than
cloning every individual backscatter.
Here is an example photo series. This is a crop of the original wide angle shot. This diver is the last to enter of 2 groups of ~7 divers,
so the truth is there are particles in the water.
Eliminating it all would result in an unreal image. I only worked with the backscatter around arm and above heel. The final result has less obvious backscatter and I didn't spend hours with the
clone tool.
processed for color and light only
after the
magic wand / dust and scratches
work area before
magic wand / dust and scratches
work area after
magic wand / dust and scratches
Because some of the detail highlights are the same color as the backscatters I worked with, there is a slight lessening of the wall sharpness, but if you never saw the first photo the final result shows the subject diver nicely, with limited backscatter.