So these are actual pictures? Crazy! I totally thought this is a computer rendered shadow effect.
so, the "STAY" album cover, is a painting.
the "ELEMENTAL" album cover, has a pane of glass, lifted off the paper by a1/4", and the letters painted on the glass, so the shadow is real. took 20 shots with different angles of natural light outside, this one made the cut. the little wooden guy, is just that... a little wooden guy, sitting on top of the glass.
the "Time is Magic" cover is a photo of my strat, with a falcon feather, outside in the snow.
the "Wild Animals" cover is a wooden painted bat, from Ecuador, on some cloth from India, with some opioids.
the "Trouble" cover, is two layers (panes) of glass, separated by 1/4" each, the TROUBLE letters are painted on the top glass pane, the BAT is painted on the 2nd glass pane, and then there is gold chinese paper on the bottom.
same deal, taken outside in natural light, with the shadows made by the sun at about 11:00 in the morning.