diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 90942d7f782f..04e34080c186 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -2943,23 +2943,17 @@ def _update_title_position(self, renderer):
 
         titles = (self.title, self._left_title, self._right_title)
 
+        # Need to check all our twins too, and all the children as well.
+        axs = self._twinned_axes.get_siblings(self) + self.child_axes
+        for ax in self.child_axes:  # Child positions must be updated first.
+            locator = ax.get_axes_locator()
+            ax.apply_aspect(locator(self, renderer) if locator else None)
+
         for title in titles:
             x, _ = title.get_position()
             # need to start again in case of window resizing
             title.set_position((x, 1.0))
-            # need to check all our twins too...
-            axs = self._twinned_axes.get_siblings(self)
-            # and all the children
-            for ax in self.child_axes:
-                if ax is not None:
-                    locator = ax.get_axes_locator()
-                    if locator:
-                        pos = locator(self, renderer)
-                        ax.apply_aspect(pos)
-                    else:
-                        ax.apply_aspect()
-                    axs = axs + [ax]
-            top = -np.Inf
+            top = -np.inf
             for ax in axs:
                 bb = None
                 if (ax.xaxis.get_ticks_position() in ['top', 'unknown']
@@ -3016,11 +3010,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
 
         # loop over self and child Axes...
         locator = self.get_axes_locator()
-        if locator:
-            pos = locator(self, renderer)
-            self.apply_aspect(pos)
-        else:
-            self.apply_aspect()
+        self.apply_aspect(locator(self, renderer) if locator else None)
 
         artists = self.get_children()
         artists.remove(self.patch)
@@ -4396,11 +4386,8 @@ def get_tightbbox(self, renderer=None, call_axes_locator=True,
             return None
 
         locator = self.get_axes_locator()
-        if locator and call_axes_locator:
-            pos = locator(self, renderer)
-            self.apply_aspect(pos)
-        else:
-            self.apply_aspect()
+        self.apply_aspect(
+            locator(self, renderer) if locator and call_axes_locator else None)
 
         for axis in self._axis_map.values():
             if self.axison and axis.get_visible():
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index d46c1b81cd4b..b2b02a2a2c96 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -206,20 +206,13 @@ def _get_draw_artists(self, renderer):
             key=lambda artist: artist.get_zorder())
         for ax in self._localaxes:
             locator = ax.get_axes_locator()
-            if locator:
-                pos = locator(ax, renderer)
-                ax.apply_aspect(pos)
-            else:
-                ax.apply_aspect()
+            ax.apply_aspect(locator(ax, renderer) if locator else None)
 
             for child in ax.get_children():
                 if hasattr(child, 'apply_aspect'):
                     locator = child.get_axes_locator()
-                    if locator:
-                        pos = locator(child, renderer)
-                        child.apply_aspect(pos)
-                    else:
-                        child.apply_aspect()
+                    child.apply_aspect(
+                        locator(child, renderer) if locator else None)
         return artists
 
     def autofmt_xdate(
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
index 05df0c16f220..e47029539352 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py
@@ -420,11 +420,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
         # it adjusts the view limits and the size of the bounding box
         # of the Axes
         locator = self.get_axes_locator()
-        if locator:
-            pos = locator(self, renderer)
-            self.apply_aspect(pos)
-        else:
-            self.apply_aspect()
+        self.apply_aspect(locator(self, renderer) if locator else None)
 
         # add the projection matrix to the renderer
         self.M = self.get_proj()