This Photographer Mines the Stories Beneath Hollywood’s Glamor

Black-and-white portrait photography by Dennys Ilic, part of his “Hollywood Black and White” exhibition at Leica Gallery LA

Jason Momoa

There’s something timeless about black-and-white photography, its tones, depth, and contrasts are as intimate as they are atmospheric. But, aside from this, there’s another element that intrigues Dennys Ilic: monochromatic images remind him of classic Hollywood.

“The images that moved me most were 1950s Hollywood portraits and the lighting in the movies that I watched as a child,” the Los Angeles-based photographer tells My Modern Met. “I discovered that when you remove color, you strip away distraction and get to the essence of light and shadow where emotion truly lives.”

Throughout his life, Ilic has consistently gravitated toward Hollywood and its glamour, capturing its landscape and the luminaries that pepper it across his own work. What compels the photographer more, though, are the stories that exist behind the area’s glittering surface, its larger-than-life character. To him, nothing embodies Hollywood’s personalities, their vulnerabilities, and their perspectives better than black-and-white photography, considering that the medium exudes both a quiet elegance and a striking immediacy.

“[Monochrome] is my way of trying to step into the legacy of those Hollywood legends while also allowing every person I photograph to tell their own story,” Ilic explains. “I feel empathetic to the people I work with, and monochrome helps me show them that I see them as timeless, honest, and profoundly human.”

That impulse is at the heart of Ilic’s newest solo exhibition, Hollywood Black and White. Now open at Leica Gallery LA, the exhibition gathers photographs created over several years, each imbued with an emotional sensibility that, for Ilic, is essential to revealing a person’s true self. A portrait of Alanis Morissette, for example, sees her flashing a peace sign, a mischievous wink and smile spreading across her face. The composition’s playfulness wouldn’t be possible without Ilic’s focus on gesture, expression, and mood—and Morissette’s confidence. Here, the singer-songwriter is at ease, completely confident in her image. It’s a refreshing approach, especially when juxtaposed with Hollywood’s reputation for artifice.

“In Hollywood Black and White, I wanted to reveal the duality of the glamorous, larger-than-life image, and the vulnerable, real people beneath it,” Ilic says. “Every subject I photograph has their own narrative, their own hopes, fears, and dreams. My wish is that people see these photographs and understand that Hollywood isn’t just a place. It’s a tapestry of humans.”

The exhibition features portraits of stars such as Charlie Hunnam, Jason Momoa, and Karl Urban; and like Morissette, they’re all comfortable in front of Ilic’s lens. This authenticity, Ilic explains, is a product of trust. “I always say that 80% of my shoots are ‘talking and hanging out,’ and 20% is firing the shutter,” he adds. “By the time I pick up the camera, there’s a foundation of understanding. I want visitors to the gallery to see that behind the iconic faces are normal people. If someone looks at these images and feels a spark of empathy for a human being with hopes and fears and not just a Hollywood legend, then I’ve done my job.”

Hollywood Black and White is currently on view at Leica Gallery LA through March 2, 2026.