The release of Aperture 3 today includes new features, including the Faces and Places tool made popular in iPhoto ‘09.

Retailing at NZ$349 including GST, and NZ$179 for existing Aperture users, the new software also includes a new Brushes feature, GPS location data and organising, and the ability to create and export advanced slideshows.

Faces and Places allows users to find and organise photos using face detection recognition or location-based data. Faces lets users sort through their library or selected projects by detecting faces, and Aperture 3 displays faces that have been detected, but not yet named. Places lets users explore photos based on where they were taken by interlacing GPS data into user-friendly locations. The new software also lets users assign locations by dragging and dropping photos onto a map or by using location information from GPS-enabled cameras.

Brushes lets users add professional touches to photos by painting effects onto the image. The program includes 15 brushes that perform tasks like dodge, burn, polarize and blur without using layers or masks.

Another added feature of the new version is the ability to weave together photos, audio, text and HD video to create custom slideshows. The slideshows can then be exported directly to iTunes and synced to an iPhone or iPod Touch.

According to the Apple website, Aperture 3 boasts more than 200 new features in total, all of which can be seen here.

The program is available for a 30-day trial version here and is available through the Apple store and Apple Authorised Resellers.