This is a transcript of the podcast of Carolyn's interview with Greta Latona and Jimmy Howes on WGHT radio.

Greta: It's 7:39 and if you love to travel and if you just love romance, nothing says it more than Italy, and on the line we have Riverdale resident Carolyn Masone. She's got an exhibit she's going to tell us all about and beautiful, beautiful photography that you can own. Hi, Carolyn, how are you?

Carolyn: Hi Greta. Thanks so much for having me on your show.

Greta: You're very welcome.

Jimmy: Ciao, Carolyn, Ciao!

Carolyn: Ciao, Baby!

Jimmy: What's going on with Italy, Through the Eyes of Love?

Carolyn: What's going on? Well, it's a collection I've been amassing over about eleven years of traveling to Italy and it isn't over yet! It basically is a reflection of my journey as a person and a photographer in the most beautiful setting in the world, I think!

Greta: So you loved Italy so much that back in 1995 you started traveling there and you didn't even own a camera. So tell us how the transition from not even owning a camera to becoming a fabulous photographer happened.

Carolyn: Well, it's a funny thing. And I, as you just said, I went there for the first time on vacation in 1995. I was never interested in photography and I took several trips to Italy without a camera. And I came back and people were like, "Are you nuts? How can you go there and not have a camera?" But I just wasn't interested in that. I was on some sort of personal pilgrimage, I guess, and that wasn't part of it.

But then, at one point, I was getting ready for another trip and it just occurred to me that if I took a camera I could probably get some pretty good images. So I just went with it. I bought myself a camera, at that time it was a film camera, and I went. I had a lot of fun taking pictures and never expected anyone to care about them except me. I came back and I was really surprised at the positive reception the photographs received. People wanted enlargements and they wanted copies, all of this. And I found, myself, that the photography enhanced the trip. So then eventually I moved to a digital camera and now it's my constant companion when I go to Italy.

Jimmy: Well, Carolyn, most of your pictures, they're probably works of art, that are on display at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center should be of great interest to the people of Northern New Jersey and I'll tell you why. The amount of population in Northern New Jersey of Italian people, it's immense. Is that what drew you to Italy to begin with? Do you have a background, family, friends from Italy?

Carolyn: Well, yes, actually. My Dad was Italian and my mother was Swedish. We lived closest to the Italian side of the family so, certainly the Italian culture dominated. My Dad always wanted to see the country where his parents were from but he never had the opportunity. So, when I had the opportunity in 1995, I was really intrigued by it. And really, I thought, you know, it would be a great vacation spot and I didn't think it would be more than that. I didn't go to research family history or anything like that. I just went to relax and have some fun. I didn't know my life would change forever (laughter)!

Jimmy: Anybody can take a photograph, but how is it that you know how, or you have the feeling of what to take a picture of, when you're there in Italy, that would be of interest to people here in the United States? How do you know what to photograph?

Carolyn: I'm not even sure how to answer that question because I don't have a background in photography, as I said. I think everyone has their own inspiration, the scenes and the moments that resonate with them. Whether your dream is Italy or something else, the basic framework behind it is the same, which is just being open, allowing the opportunities to come before you, taking them when they come. And I think that's the common thread.

Greta: So basically, you followed your heart when you saw the beautiful countryside, because this became sort of a hobby for you. You did have another career prior to this.

Carolyn: That's true, it's just sort of grown over time. I knew that I wanted to work in a way that was connected with Italy in some fashion but I had no idea what form that would take. And then in 2004, my business partner and designer, Jefferson Harman, and I created essenceofiitaly.net, which is our website where the photography is displayed. And that has really taken over our lives! It's what we love to do and that's what brought us to this wonderful exhibit at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe.

Greta: And you not only take photography, you also did a journal, like a travel journal for people.

Carolyn: Yes, I like to write about some of my travel experiences and we also do podcast interviews with people that we feel are doing interesting, unexpected things in Italy or connected with Italy in some way. So, it becomes like a multimedia experience.

Jimmy: Now when you leave the house, do you feel like you forgot something if you don't have your camera with you?

Carolyn: Yes, you know, sometimes I do; you're right!

Jimmy: There must be great pictures to take everywhere but if you don't have the eye, you have a sixth sense, obviously.

Carolyn: The pictures that I take and the mindset that I get myself into is a whole experience and I have to tell you, it's a quite solitary experience.

Jimmy: Now that you have an artist's dream, actually, is to be on display, and you're on display at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center, what's next for you? What are other things that you plan to do?

Carolyn: Well, I certainly plan to go back to Italy, there's no question about that! And we have some very interesting podcasts in the works for the website. We have musicians and people who are devoting their lives to perpetuating the folk culture of Italy, and I think that’s going to be very interesting. And we hope to put the photos into book form to make them more accessible so that people who love Italy can have it in their homes and anytime they just need to sit back and relax and dream a little bit, they can just open the book and go.

Jimmy: Carolyn, two cute questions: is it spaghetti sauce or gravy?

Carolyn: (laughter) It really depends on where you're from; North or South!

Jimmy: Alright, and how about pizza? Is the pizza better in America than in Italy?

Carolyn: Oh, if you're in Naples, it's pizza heaven!

Jimmy: Now, can you go over the website one more time, and exactly how do we get to where your display is?

Carolyn: The website for the Westchester Italian Cultural Center is www.wiccny.org. You can certainly just Google Westchester Italian Culture and I'm sure you can get there. And the Center is an amazing place for anyone who loves Italy and wants to learn more about Italian culture, that's the place you should be. You can call there for viewing hours for the exhibit. It's up until July 31st.

Greta: And it's free, for the public.

Carolyn: Yes, it's free and open to the public.

Jimmy: It's so exciting when somebody local does something like this, Greta.

Greta: And you know, I have looked at the website and you have pictures up there of the rocks of Capri. Now I've been in Italy; you brought me right back there!

Carolyn: Oh, that's wonderful!

Greta: And I've seen your other photographs throughout and I have been to those places where you have been and you have captured it on film! Absolutely! You brought me right back there!

Carolyn: Thank you very, very much!

Jimmy: Carolyn, you're welcome back to the show anytime.

Carolyn: Well, thank you! Thank you so much for having me on the show; it's been such a pleasure.

Jimmy: Keep us posted on your up and coming trips to Italy and your photographs, and thank you so much for joining us! She was top notch, Greta, thank you. This was wonderful!

Carolyn: Thank you!

Greta: Thanks!

Jimmy: There you go at WGHT. Now I'm in an Italian mood, Greta! Give me a tarantella!

Greta: I'll help you out!