If you know LaTeX, you know that precise float placement (I want this figure to positioned right here) is almost impossible. But what nobody told you is that there exists a float package (only since 2001 - maybe even earlier). With this package you get a new placement modifier: [H], which means: “Put this damn figure right here!”.

LateX users everywhere cheer.

Specifics are described in the pdf in the package. Using it on Ubuntu/Debian

apt-get install texlive-latex-recommended texlive-latex-recommended-doc
evince /usr/share/doc/texlive-doc/latex/float/float.pdf