A travel creator’s guide to vertical video

Step 1: Pick a place and prepare

Felix: When planning a vertical travel video, we always start with the overall feeling and story we want to create. For this project in the Swiss Alps, we wanted the video to feel adventurous, almost like taking the viewer along on the hike with us. Switzerland is one of the most visually impressive places for outdoor travel content, with landscapes that constantly change, from forests and mountain trails to dramatic cliffs and panoramic viewpoints, which creates a really immersive feeling in vertical video.

Céline: Before visiting a location, we usually plan certain scenes and ideas in advance. We have a rough vision in mind, then write down a small list of moments we want to capture. We also research locations on social media beforehand to better understand the scenery, atmosphere and what could work well vertically. For hiking content, we look for places that create depth and scale, such as mountain ridges, steep trails and viewpoints. Movement is important too, so we plan clips such as us walking, arriving somewhere or riding gondolas, helping the story to feel natural.

Since most of our content is created for Instagram Reels, we also think about the audience from the start. The video needs to capture attention quickly, look visually clean and make people feel part of the experience.

Step 2: Arm yourself with reliable kit

Felix: For social media, content needs to look beautiful but also natural and engaging, and the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR and Nikon Z50II made that very easy. You need gear that is practical and efficient, especially when you are hiking for several hours and need to move quickly.

The 16-50mm zoom range of the lens, which is equivalent to 24-75mm using a full-frame FX camera, is perfect for travel content, as you can go wide for landscapes or zoom in for details, while the autofocus worked smoothly when filming movement on trails, gondolas or walking clips, making it easier to capture spontaneous moments. We also took a tripod, which was great for added stabilisation and filming both of us in the frame.

Step 3: Choose settings that keep things flexible

Felix: Most of the time, when filming a trip like this, we actually record in auto mode combined with the N-log colour profile. This gives us the security of capturing the moment in a fast-paced environment, while still having the flexibility for more professional colour grading in post-production. For most daytime filming, especially for social media, we’ve found auto mode works very reliably and lets us stay flexible.

Céline: In certain situations, such as sunset or low light, we switch to manual mode. Then we follow the general rule of setting the shutter speed to about double the frame rate, so around 1/120 sec when filming at 60fps, while keeping the ISO as low as possible and adjusting the aperture accordingly.

We mainly film in 4K 60fps, as it offers the highest possible quality and also allows us to slow down footage slightly if needed. Some say that 1080p is enough for social media, since platforms compress the quality anyway, but from our experience filming in 4K makes a noticeable difference. Even after uploading, the footage looks sharper and clearer, so we always recommend filming in at least 4K, even if the final output is for social media.

Step 4: Keep your footage steady

Felix: Although this lens has VR, which definitely helps, for handheld filming, technique is really important. We often use what’s called a ‘ninja walk’ – slow, soft steps to reduce shake – and we try to keep movements simple, such as gentle pans from left to right or tilts from top to bottom.

A gimbal can definitely improve stability but, for a full day outside, we usually prefer filming handheld for flexibility. If you don’t have a tripod, another trick is to use your surroundings, placing the camera on walls or stable surfaces to get smoother footage. You can also stabilise videos in post-production.

Step 5: Watch how the light changes

Felix: Outdoors, the light can constantly change throughout the day, and this is especially true in the mountains, where you move between open landscapes, forests and shaded trails. The lens’ constant f/2.8 aperture was really helpful here because it allowed us to keep the footage more consistent while filming, but the main thing is to stay aware of how the light is changing and adjust as you move. It also helped create a nice separation between the subject and the background, especially for hiking scenes with the mountains in the distance.

Step 6: Frame with intention

Céline: The basic composition rules stay the same for vertical filming: the rule of thirds, symmetry, centring and leading lines, etc. We use these to create a clean and visually appealing scene, but as vertical videos are naturally more focused than horizontal ones, it is important to have a clear subject in the frame, for example a person hiking on a trail, standing on a ridge or walking toward a viewpoint.

One common mistake is leaving too much empty space, especially too much sky at the top, which can make the frame feel unbalanced. We try to keep a similar amount of space at the top and bottom, while also leaving enough room for text or captions.

Step 7: Open with impact

Céline: For us, a good opening hook always speaks directly to the viewer. It can be emotional, surprising, controversial, informative or even a bit unexpected, but the key is that it creates curiosity and makes people want to see more. Of course, it depends on the topic and the niche, but in general it needs to be engaging and very easy to understand immediately. The viewer should instantly feel, “I want to watch this”. We always try to combine a strong visual with a clear message right at the beginning, something that stands out and creates an immediate connection with the audience.

Felix: One of our favourite moments in this video is actually the very first scene. It features the famous Äscher mountain hut built directly into the cliff, which is such an iconic and unique location in Switzerland. The scenery there feels almost unreal and immediately creates a strong atmosphere for the start of the video.

Step 8: Build a natural flow

Felix: Flow comes from both filming and editing. When filming, we already think about movement, for example, consistently moving from left to right. In editing, we then connect those clips so the motion continues naturally, which creates a smooth flow throughout the video. The most important part, as we mentioned, is the first clip. It needs to be strong and usually slightly longer, combined with a good hook, because that first scene has to convince the viewer to keep watching. After that, we usually work with short clips to show as much as possible in a short time. This faster style fits very well with travel content and keeps the viewer engaged throughout the video.

Step 9: Let sound support the story

Felix: We often keep the original ambient sound and combine it with a music track, because it adds authenticity and makes the viewer feel more connected to the moment. Sounds such as animals or wind can immediately pull the viewer into the scene and make it feel more real, as if they are actually there.

Since our focus is mainly on visuals, we usually rely on the camera’s internal microphone and keep the set-up simple and lightweight, especially during hiking. Most of the time, we handle sound challenges in post-production. If the sound is too distracting, we lower the volume significantly or remove it completely. If it adds to the experience, we keep it subtly in the background.

Céline: We don’t use voiceovers very often. Most of the time, we work with music and usually choose it directly from Instagram or TikTok, as it makes the copyright side more straightforward when posting on those platforms. Currently, it’s easier to find trending sounds and match them to your video on Instagram, while on TikTok the music selection feels a bit more limited.

It’s important that the song matches the type of video, whether it’s a happy, summery vibe or something calmer and more cinematic, because the better the music fits, the higher the chance of getting more views.

Step 10: Edit and upload

Felix: If you want to create a simple video, you can edit directly in apps like Instagram Edits or TikTok, or use tools such as the free version of CapCut. For us, since we often film in N-log and want to colour grade, we edit most of our videos in Premiere Pro.

Céline: In almost all our videos, we use a strong first clip of around three seconds that needs to be engaging. After that, we show shorter clips to present the location. The clip length depends on the type of video. For example, in a Maldives video with drone footage, jet skiing and snorkelling, we use shorter clips. But for something calmer, such as walking through Japanese streets at sunrise, the clips can be a bit longer.

Felix: It’s important to leave space at the top of the first clip so you can add your hook, and at the end, we always include a call to action to encourage viewers to engage. But keep the ‘safe zone’ in mind. Currently, on TikTok, we avoid placing important elements in the top 12% and bottom 20% of the frame, as this area is often covered by captions and interface buttons. On Instagram, we try to keep all key elements within the central 80% of the frame, avoiding around 10% at the top and 15% at the bottom to make sure nothing important gets cut off.

Céline: In general, we post the same content on both platforms, but we’ve noticed that simpler videos with less editing often perform better on TikTok than on Instagram. The audience behaviour is slightly different, too. Instagram is more about discovering and enjoying beautiful visuals, while TikTok is often used more for entertainment, research, inspiration and even planning trips, so the same content doesn’t always perform the same way on both platforms.

And now it’s over to you! Take your camera, go outside and start filming. The beginning can feel a bit difficult, but after a while you get into it and will absolutely start enjoying the process.

Céline and Felix’s ten top tips:

• Film in 4K.
• Stabilise your clips as much as possible.
• Always have a clear subject (a person, place, or object) in the frame.
• Capture more than you think; sometimes the clips you didn’t plan turn out to be the best.
• Make sure the light is behind you and avoid filming directly against strong light.
• Film from different angles to make your video more dynamic.
• Capture a sense of width by panning slowly from left to right.
• Start with a strong clip to catch the viewers’ attention.
• Use Instagram’s Edits app to make adding text and choosing music easier.
• Create one video and upload it to both Instagram and TikTok.