This past weekend our friends Anita & Srdjan were married in an absolutely beautiful ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, IL. Needless to say, the evening was simply outstanding and we're so happy for the newlyweds!

For photos and some stunning details, click through... And if you're reading this on Facebook, be sure to view the original post so you can see the fullsize images.

If you're interested in such things, by now you've probably seen the news that Apple released Aperture 3. Tons of new features, and it's finally a 64-bit app, so performance should be much improved. This past weekend I got the Aperture 3 (A3) demo up and running on my iMac, and loaded some D700 RAW images for testing.

First impressions: I love some of the new features, including the WB preset previews, image adjustment presets (and previews), and the responsiveness of the interface. I'm very excited about the photo book plug-ins from high-end album companies. I'm always on the lookout for ways to streamline my wedding/portrait workflow, and for tools that make it easier to create quality products for my photography clients. On that note, while I haven't used Faces or Places yet, I'm certainly interested these features for my own personal images. Bonus: The new LCD-like metadata view (shown on the right) is killer.

Last week's earthquake in Haiti left me feeling a bit helpless at first. So many people suffering, so far away... Of course, there were a lot of organizations that could use my money to help the people of Haiti: Red Cross, UNICEF, CARE, Mercy Corps, etc. Some are even using SMS (in the US) to make it easier:

• SMS text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
• SMS text "YELE" to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti's Earthquake Relief efforts
• SMS text "GIVE10" to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief

I personally jumped on the Google bandwagon, since they made it trivial to donate to UNICEF and CARE.

I'm very excited to announce the launch of Andrew Stott Photography Products, specifically Holiday Cards!

These cards have been in development for quite some time. While services like Shutterfly offer some nice options, I've searched far and wide for the best designs and the highest quality materials. At this point, I'm confident that we've got some of the top cards out there. Want some details?

All cards are printed on high quality art paper using HP Indigo digital printing presses with real liquid ink — no inkjet prints on plain paper... Prices shown on the website are for packs of 25 cards with envelopes — if you would like more cards, just order multiple packs. UPS Ground shipping costs $10 per card design, and UPS 2-day Air is available for $15.

Two weekends ago, we spent most of Sunday roaming around Chicago with Laura and Charles, shooting their engagement photos. Lots of locations, lots of images, and lots of memories.

For images and more details, click through... And if you're reading this on Facebook, be sure to view the original post so you can see the larger images.

Just a quick preview from Laura & Charles' engagement shoot this weekend... Even though the weather was a little cool, we wound up having a fantastic time traipsing around Chicago!

A couple weeks ago, our friends Sarah & Phil were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at The Grove in Glenview, IL.

The reception was also held at The Grove, and the rain stayed away just long enough to provide a wonderful outdoor dinner service. After dinner, we moved inside to take advantage of an air-conditioned dance floor and some liberally-pouring bartenders. Of course, we didn't stop there, hosting a small hotel after-party complete with a late-night, monsoon-soaked booze run... It was a great night with great friends — thanks to the happy couple for inviting us, and for throwing an awesome party!

Click through for some images... The rest are up on Flickr.

On Memorial Day weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting Kristen and Tony's wedding at A New Leaf in Chicago. It was a wonderful event all around: from a beautiful bride, to a gorgeous space, to fantastic summer weather, there were plenty of memories to capture.

For images and more details, click through...

Just a quick note to announce the launch of Andrew Stott Photography. It's got all you need in a good photo portfolio site: photos, photos, and more photos. Plus a bio, contact information, and a newsletter — just in case anyone is interested...

Swing by and check it out, and let me know what you think!

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!