Editor’s note: Playboy Club model Griffin Maria is a ‘Star Wars’ fan and a talented cosplayer. In this story, she shares about the perils of shooting her ‘Slave Leia’ costume in a desert location used for the actual shooting of the sci-fi classic.
Not so long ago in a desert far, far away…
As a big fan of Star Wars, shooting at the Imperial Dunes outside of Yuma, Arizona was a bucket-list shoot to say the least. There’s a reason that area looks like it could have been plucked right from the sand world of Tatooine…this is the location where the infamous sand skiff scene was filmed for Return of the Jedi!
Although I didn’t have to fight off Jabba’s goons or bounty hunters, shooting at sunrise brought on its own challenges. Sure, the final pics turned out great, but just getting to the top of a dune was a lot of work!
Read our Playboy Q&A with Griffin Maria here.
It’s one thing to climb a sand dune in hiking gear, but wearing costume boots and a custom-made space bikini wasn’t exactly comfortable. And although Arizona is known for its scorching temperatures, what no one told me was that the dunes cool off significantly at night. And by significantly, I mean that at 6 o’clock in the morning it was BITTERLY COLD. In Star Wars terms, this felt more like Hoth than Tatooine. If you don’t believe me, zoom in on the pics and you can see the goosebumps for yourself.
But part of the job is looking the part and overcoming the obstacles. Afterall, the final pics last forever and the misery is only temporary. I can’t thank photographer Shane Nixon enough for his professionalism and patience. Not only did he have the costume designed specifically for me, he braved the elements right alongside me and nailed every single photo. We shot for over an hour, which is shorter than many of my photo shoots, but just long enough to get the looks we wanted then slide down a sandy hill back to a warm car.
Carrie Fisher will always be the gold standard, and I intentionally strayed from attempting to match her exact look. The idea was to have fun with the costume in my own style while honoring the legacy she created. I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out and we got some beautiful shots out the day. Next time, however, we’re shooting at sunset! No more goosebumps for this Hutt Slayer!
Griffin Maria is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
