Maybe, I'm just thick. I've tried a variety of lighting mods and weather modifications. I still use Climates of Tamriel, and recently tried Realistic Lighting Overhaul.

I'm confused by the obsession with making the game so dark you can't see anyone without additional mods for lanterns or using torches in all buildings, even in daytime? I get the main game is RIDICULOUSLY overlit, but the shadows most mods I try are so dark, its impossible to make out the face of the person you're talking to, unless you're inches from a light source. I like shadows and the feeling of realism but there's got to be a happy middle between "Night is Just a Dark Blue Lens Filter" + "Our Inn With A Single Fire Place Is Better Lit Than Most 21st Century Homes" and "Night is an Ebon Abyss" and "Hang a lantern every two feet, or you can't see the people in the room."

Now I have a nice monitor with very strong black levels (its one of the reasons I like it). So maybe its the mods in combination with my monitor.

So ultimately, my question is: what am I doing wrong? I'm back to just using Climates of Tamriel (with the nights adjusted to level 4 brightness) and Lanterns of Skyrim with the CoT preset, and it's still too bloody dark inside the inns and my house. But vanilla is too bright. I need help finding the middle ground.