Dan,
I think "personal preference" is a fair note. Soft north light presents a softer and more traditional feeling. Studio light gives away the fact that a subject is under artificial light and for a good part of the last 100 years our society has learned to live with man made light and an argument could go on forever about the better source.
I would suggest that it is subject/situation related and neither is right nor wrong. I hope it doesn't sound like a bias but I think there is a lot to be said for studio light given the fact that many of our friends and associates are only known to us under artificial light. I think I digress.
Here are two more examples of strong lights on the shadow side of the face. The top painting is by SOG member Zhuo S. Liang <
http://www.liangstudio.com/ > and the second by Raeburn who never saw a light bulb.