The problem with mastering technique is that until you actually master it, you are too caught up in it. If you're looking at a scene and spending too much time thinking about how to capture it, then you have not mastered technique, and you might be better off just going with your gut and shooting what you feel and hoping you can fix it in the darkroom.
You may then ask, if I'm not trying to use my technique in the field and will just shoot with my gut how do I ever master technique? Simply, you do all your technical education on test film, test set ups and test shoots. You shoot 100 test shots before you try to really use technique on a keeper. So by the time you are in the field and working on an image of significance you can rely on a brain form of muscle memory. You just know what to do and require very little thought. At this point I rarely use a light meter.
To be lacking in technical competence means that your options are limited, your means of expression is limited and you may not even get a usable negative.
You may then ask, if I'm not trying to use my technique in the field and will just shoot with my gut how do I ever master technique? Simply, you do all your technical education on test film, test set ups and test shoots. You shoot 100 test shots before you try to really use technique on a keeper. So by the time you are in the field and working on an image of significance you can rely on a brain form of muscle memory. You just know what to do and require very little thought. At this point I rarely use a light meter.
To be lacking in technical competence means that your options are limited, your means of expression is limited and you may not even get a usable negative.