Have a look at this(posted 8290 days ago)http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=506894
This picture was made in a snow-covered forest towards an open field on which there was a cloudy sun. I used a tree to determine the shutter speed, went up 0.5 stop and then aimed in the direction of the sun. No filters used.
Key is to find a bright background or element (e.g. water, snow) in your photo and expiriment with stops.