I was wondering if there is a mod that allows the player to see better at night or in dark places. I don't want night vision, just something that makes very dark places a bit brighter without making everything too bright.

There's Night Eye Overhaul - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16615/? that adds a night eye spell & potions to the game; not sure if that's what you're looking for or not but it does have customization options.