What technique involves masking an area of the negative to allow more light in the unmasked area?

The technique that involves masking an area of the negative to allow more light in the unmasked area is known as burning. This process is used in photography to darken specific areas of an image by selectively exposing those areas to light during the printing process. By using materials or techniques to block light from hitting certain parts of the photographic paper, the remaining exposed areas can be made darker. This helps to enhance contrast and detail in specific parts of the image.

In contrast, dodging refers to the opposite technique, where light is prevented from reaching certain areas of the paper to make them lighter. Exposure blending is related to combining multiple exposures in digital photography to achieve a balanced image, while color correction refers to adjusting colors for accuracy or artistic effects. While these techniques are important in their own right, they do not involve the specific masking technique described in the question.