Sarah Hale

Sarah Hale

Tell us about you. How did you start and how did 'Booma' come to life?

“I would need a book to tell the whole story, so here is a shortened version. I came to Oman in 2010 and had a series of fun and exciting jobs, but eventually I wanted to have more control over my own schedule. Many people were telling me I should go out on my own and start my own photography company. Fortunately, Oman and the United States have a Free Trade Agreement that helped me launch my business this year. It was hard work to get the company opened but my years of working in marketing and non-profit organisations gave me immeasurable insight.

“The name Booma comes from a funny anecdote from my first few months in Oman. I took an Arabic class and the first word they taught us was ‘booma’ meaning owl. I asked the teacher how I am supposed to communicate with people when all I can say is “Salaam ... booma.” I quit the class shortly after that, but the word always stayed with me because it has a fun sound. I wanted my company to have a name that was in Arabic, yet easy to pronounce for non-Arabic speakers, and memorable of course! I also wanted it to be separate from myself because while Sarah Hale is a known name for a photographer, I wanted my company to be more than just me. (Fun fact: There is one species of owl in Oman, the Omani Owl!)”

How would you describe your wedding-photography style? (e.g. traditional, photojournalistic, artistic)