I wish your friend at Aer Lingus was on my last Aer Lingus flight then, because mid-flight I was using my camera to take photos out of the window (this was in flight, not during take off/landing) and a member of the cabin crew came storming down the aisle demanding I delete all my photos whilst telling me it's "illegal to take photos on an aircraft".
Maybe it's an Irish 'thang' but I had a similar experience on Ryanair some time back. I've tried to search the forum for the advice I got without success. The topic may have been on
(whisper it) 'Flyer Talk
.
If I remember correctly it came down to the lawful order of the flight crew leavened with a pinch of over-reaction