Planning
Planning is as important as technical skill. With proper planning you will save time, produce the needed photos, and be able to focus the attention of your intended audience.
Consider your intended use.
Will these photographs be used for your web site? PowerPoint presentations? Brochures? Training materials? Art for your exhibit booth? Would you like the cover of one of the big trade magazines?
Web sites have a set low resolution. Brochures and other print items have set resolutions, but at a much higher standard than the web, or for projection. The intended use will have an impact on camera selection, post processing, and reproduction.
Consider your intended audience.
Is your audience knowledgeable, at least in a general sense, about your topic? Have they seen similar equipment, materials or processes? Or will the audience need preliminary introduction to the topic?
Develop a Shot List.
The best photographs are taken for a specific use. Review your current materials and critique each photograph. Be ruthless. If the photo isn't perfect in every way, it goes into your running shot list. For new materials, write all of the copy first. Don't write based on the photographs on hand. Develop a shot list based on the point you are making. Detailed notes or sketches are best.
Get help.
If after reading this guide you don't feel equal to the task, get help. Your printer or web developer may have some helpful guides for image size, resolution, and color space and will surely give you some phone time to answer basic questions.
Hire a photographer, a graphic artist, or other professional talent as needed. Balance your time and resources against professional rates. Your small investment in professional services will often save you money in the long-term and provide you with just the photographs you need.