How do you do this in Photoshop?

I have a weird job coming up - a friend of mine who owns a wholesale casket company wants me to take photos of the models for a catalog; and by models I don't mean human beautiful girl models, I mean the casket models. Anyway, the shoot (ha!) will take place in a warehouse. He wants me to deliver completed images that have the casket "cut out" of the photo and put on a totally white background, with maybe a drop shadow under it. What is this process called so I can YouTube it?

Id shoot them on a white seamless and call it a day. Your process seems like it would be a LOT of post work and wont look as good as if you had shot them on seamless to start. Youve got the lights to do it.

The problem with shooting them on white seamless is that each casket will have to be placed on the white seamless and that would take at least two helpers to lift, position etc. I suspect they don't have the budget for that and are thinking that the photoshop route would be easier and cheaper?

That may be true Sue. I figured she and the friend could stick them in position, trigger remote switch, replace casket etc etc. To me, Id rather do that or pay an assistant on my own than try to cut out a bunch of caskets in PS. Hopefully shell chime in here.

As for youtube help, look for things about removing and replacing objects from photos. Quick selection brush and some masking should get you where you want to be if you cant shoot them on seamless.

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #12951957
I have a weird job coming up - a friend of mine who owns a wholesale casket company wants me to take photos of the models for a catalog; and by models I don't mean human beautiful girl models, I mean the casket models. Anyway, the shoot (ha!) will take place in a warehouse. He wants me to deliver completed images that have the casket "cut out" of the photo and put on a totally white background, with maybe a drop shadow under it. What is this process called so I can YouTube it?

You could select the casket using various methods, then "select" - "inverse", then fill the inverse selection (which will be everything in the image except the casket) with white. I'm not sure about the drop shadow part, but there's no doubt something on the Internet somewhere giving a how-to. Here are the first few hits from a Google search for "photoshop selections":
http://psd.tutsplus.co​m …hop-selection-techniques/
http://graphicssoft.ab​out.com …lections_in_Pho​toshop.htm
http://www.republicofc​ode.com …deo/tricky_sele​ctions.php
http://www.myjanee.com​/tuts/branches/branche​s.htm

I second the white seamless. Even if it only crops out the background thats half your image or more depending on the angle of the shot. Also probably help in lighting the caskets since most warehouses or poorly lit and will help define the area to shoot.

My friend said that he has some kind of lift thing (he said movers use something like it) on which he will lift each individual casket to about waist height for me to photograph. I don't have a seamless white background I do have a 7a'x6' Lastolite HiLite but my friend says the caskets are about 7' long so I'm afraid that won't work.

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #12952277
My friend said that he has some kind of lift thing (he said movers use something like it) on which he will lift each individual casket to about waist height for me to photograph. I don't have a seamless white background I do have a 7a'x6' Lastolite HiLite but my friend says the caskets are about 7' long so I'm afraid that won't work.

You can buy cheap white muslin cloth from any fabric store. Starting out on a white drop will save you hours and hours of work in photoshop, even if you elect to cut them out of the drop and place them on CG background.

You can get a roll of white paper and use that as your seamless background. Amazon has a 107" wide roll for about 35.00 plus shipping.

Set up is easy:
Roll out the paper and tape to the wall.
Put casket on paper. Lift it up slightly off the floor.
Shoot with the flash slightly above the casket but the camera angle "dead on".
In PS, clone out the stand the casket is on.

I'm surprised the casket company doesn't have photos to give you. Most product makers have a catalog of images of their products to give to the resellers.

I'd just get a roll of white seamless from Adorama or a local photo store - it's not super expensive and will come in very handy for future shoots of products or people. It likely won't be wide enough, but you could probably roll it out horizontally since a casket isn't very tall. Or maybe tape two or three big pieces together with Scotch tape, and just clone/heal the seam later if it's visible.

Thanks for the posts! The shoot is in one week so I'll prob just go buy a piece of white muslin & use that. Thanks you guys!