Leaf on the Snow (Dry Brush Filter)

I've heard it said before that snow does not make a very good HDR subject, because the HDR process takes your pretty white snow and makes it look dirty. If you're looking for dirty snow, then HDR is the way to go.

There was something about the photo of this leaf (which already looked kind of dirty, because... it's a dead leaf) that didn't really bother me about the "dirty" look of the snow. In fact, the snow here reminds me of sugar... or salt. When summer time comes around again, and I'm missing these winter snow photos, bringing out the sugar/salt as a snow substitute might make for some interesting (and less cold) photo moments. Thanks for stopping by!