diff --git a/doc/examples/plot_local_otsu.py b/doc/examples/plot_local_otsu.py
index aff7db62..ec3cdf48 100644
--- a/doc/examples/plot_local_otsu.py
+++ b/doc/examples/plot_local_otsu.py
@@ -37,28 +37,25 @@ threshold_global_otsu = threshold_otsu(img)
 global_otsu = img >= threshold_global_otsu
 
 
-plt.figure(figsize=(8, 5))
+f, ax = plt.subplots(2, 2, figsize=(8, 5))
+ax1, ax2, ax3, ax4 = ax.ravel()
 
-plt.subplot(2, 2, 1)
-plt.imshow(img, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
-plt.title('Original')
-plt.colorbar(orientation='horizontal')
-plt.axis('off')
+f.colorbar(ax1.imshow(img, cmap=plt.cm.gray),
+           ax=ax1, orientation='horizontal')
+ax1.set_title('Original')
+ax1.axis('off')
 
-plt.subplot(2, 2, 2)
-plt.imshow(local_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
-plt.title('Local Otsu (radius=%d)' % radius)
-plt.colorbar(orientation='horizontal')
-plt.axis('off')
+f.colorbar(ax2.imshow(local_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray),
+           ax=ax2, orientation='horizontal')
+ax2.set_title('Local Otsu (radius=%d)' % radius)
+ax2.axis('off')
 
-plt.subplot(2, 2, 3)
-plt.imshow(img >= local_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
-plt.title('Original >= Local Otsu' % threshold_global_otsu)
-plt.axis('off')
+ax3.imshow(img >= local_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
+ax3.set_title('Original >= Local Otsu' % threshold_global_otsu)
+ax3.axis('off')
 
-plt.subplot(2, 2, 4)
-plt.imshow(global_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
-plt.title('Global Otsu (threshold = %d)' % threshold_global_otsu)
-plt.axis('off')
+ax4.imshow(global_otsu, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
+ax4.set_title('Global Otsu (threshold = %d)' % threshold_global_otsu)
+ax4.axis('off')
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/doc/examples/plot_phase_unwrap.py b/doc/examples/plot_phase_unwrap.py
index 39055995..09c33f90 100644
--- a/doc/examples/plot_phase_unwrap.py
+++ b/doc/examples/plot_phase_unwrap.py
@@ -26,26 +26,20 @@ image_wrapped = np.angle(np.exp(1j * image))
 # Perform phase unwrapping
 image_unwrapped = unwrap_phase(image_wrapped)
 
-plt.figure()
-plt.subplot(221)
-plt.title('Original')
-plt.imshow(image, cmap='gray', vmin=0, vmax=4 * np.pi)
-plt.colorbar()
+f, ax = plt.subplots(2, 2)
+ax1, ax2, ax3, ax4 = ax.ravel()
 
-plt.subplot(222)
-plt.title('Wrapped phase')
-plt.imshow(image_wrapped, cmap='gray', vmin=-np.pi, vmax=np.pi)
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax1.imshow(image, cmap='gray', vmin=0, vmax=4 * np.pi), ax=ax1)
+ax1.set_title('Original')
 
-plt.subplot(223)
-plt.title('After phase unwrapping')
-plt.imshow(image_unwrapped, cmap='gray')
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax2.imshow(image_wrapped, cmap='gray', vmin=-np.pi, vmax=np.pi), ax=ax2)
+ax2.set_title('Wrapped phase')
 
-plt.subplot(224)
-plt.title('Unwrapped minus original')
-plt.imshow(image_unwrapped - image, cmap='gray')
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax3.imshow(image_unwrapped, cmap='gray'), ax=ax3)
+ax3.set_title('After phase unwrapping')
+
+f.colorbar(ax4.imshow(image_unwrapped - image, cmap='gray'), ax=ax4)
+ax4.set_title('Unwrapped minus original')
 
 """
 .. image:: PLOT2RST.current_figure
@@ -70,26 +64,22 @@ image_unwrapped_no_wrap_around = unwrap_phase(image_wrapped,
 image_unwrapped_wrap_around = unwrap_phase(image_wrapped,
                                            wrap_around=(True, False))
 
-plt.figure()
-plt.subplot(221)
-plt.title('Original')
-plt.imshow(np.ma.array(image, mask=mask), cmap='jet')
-plt.colorbar()
+f, ax = plt.subplots(2, 2)
+ax1, ax2, ax3, ax4 = ax.ravel()
 
-plt.subplot(222)
-plt.title('Wrapped phase')
-plt.imshow(image_wrapped, cmap='jet', vmin=-np.pi, vmax=np.pi)
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax1.imshow(np.ma.array(image, mask=mask), cmap='jet'), ax=ax1)
+ax1.set_title('Original')
 
-plt.subplot(223)
-plt.title('Unwrapped without wrap_around')
-plt.imshow(image_unwrapped_no_wrap_around, cmap='jet')
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax2.imshow(image_wrapped, cmap='jet', vmin=-np.pi, vmax=np.pi),
+           ax=ax2)
+ax2.set_title('Wrapped phase')
 
-plt.subplot(224)
-plt.title('Unwrapped with wrap_around')
-plt.imshow(image_unwrapped_wrap_around, cmap='jet')
-plt.colorbar()
+f.colorbar(ax3.imshow(image_unwrapped_no_wrap_around, cmap='jet'),
+           ax=ax3)
+ax3.set_title('Unwrapped without wrap_around')
+
+f.colorbar(ax4.imshow(image_unwrapped_wrap_around, cmap='jet'), ax=ax4)
+ax4.set_title('Unwrapped with wrap_around')
 
 plt.show()