Photovine is a new app for iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads running iOS 4.2 or later. This free app is meant to encourage interaction via images.

The "vine" in the app's name refers to a collection of images based on one theme; for example, "view outside my window" or "happiness". Once you've downloaded the free Photovine app, you can shoot and post a photo to join a vine in progress or start one of your own. You can also watch vines without posting to them. Seeing what people add to vines can be a great way to gain fresh perspectives on a concept—sort of like browsing stock photo sites by keywords.

Pro photographers, keep in mind that any image you post to Photovine could potentially be re-used outside Photovine. I don't recommend sharing a high-resolution version of a photo that you, for example, sell in galleries. On the other hand, if you consistently post interesting images, you may earn a reputation that could someday result in an assignment. You never know!

Photovine lets you post your photos to Facebook and Twitter as well as to the app. Oddly enough, since Photovine is a Google product, there's no Google+ support. Another interesting omission: Photovine doesn't have any built-in filters of the sort you find in Instagram and Hipstamatic. Maybe Google+ and filters will be part of version 2.