This and another Petzval shot are in my Kodak 305mm Kodak Portrait gallery, because the subject matter and the way the Petzval renders it are so similar to what the Kodak does w/the rear group of the Petzval unscrewed so that the rear elements are quite a ways from each other.  I've taped the unscrewed rear elements into this position permanently w/metal plumbers tape.

This is the same set-up as the 'Radius shot' which I've left in place w/o moving a thing, 'cept I moved the camera almost down to the floor to look up at the magnifiers and compass sitting on top. 

I had to saw the center column/pipe of my Gitzo which can raise/lower the height of my Arca Swiss M/ball independent of the tripod legs in half to so that I could flatten out the Gitzo legs to an incredible 5 inches off the floor w/o the center column interfering w/getting the tripod this low to the floor.  

After getting the tripod flattened out this low to the floor, I inserted the ball head/center column back into the Gitzo down to where it hits the floor, this ends up w/the cam about 15 inches off the floor, so that I'm looking up at the above mentioned set-up. 

I've never before flattened out my smaller Gitzo this low before, and liking the results, I'm going to try this angle again when the SM warrants.

When trying to get the patterns/distortions like these from a magnifier, and to render them on film, we're talking extremely low illumination, NOTHING else will work.   This kind of works into the hands of shooting w/these kinds of lenses wideopen. 

Illuminating this SM and glass/crystal in general, from the rear, does some really interesting things as photons bounce around and through glass.  What excites me and mystifies me about this shot, is the way the light produces an almost metallic texture in the distortions in the magnifier, considering that the only things in the shot are 3 transparent magnifiers and a transparent compass.